《Weird Live Broadcast: I Can Deduce Endlessly》


 Chapter 1: Eerie Space, Instant Death at the Start

    <h4>Chapter 1: Eerie Space, Instant Death at the Start</h4>


    A messy room.


    Yellowed walls.


    Blood, hair, and limbs were scattered all over the floor...


    The pungent smell of blood woke Gu Yi up. He struggled to get up from the ground and stared nkly at his palms.


    "Where am I?"


    Gu Yi looked around.


    A cold voice pierced his ears.


    [Wee to the Weird Space. Please remain cautious and calm as it will determine whether you can survive in this world.]


    Gu Yi shivered all over, his heart pounding in his throat. "Did I really end up in the Weird Space?"


    This world is controlled by the "Weird Space."


    Every so often, the Weird Space will extract a group of humans to venture into the Weird world. They will represent their respective countries to challenge the Weird world.


    If the challenge fails, the monsters in the Weird Space will invade the country they represent.


    Gu Yi felt his throat tighten, his palms sweating, and his mind still nk.


    "Calm down, calm down..."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, trying to calm his nervous and fearful emotions.


    He had lived in the Dragon Country for twenty years, and he had developed a deep attachment to this country.


    Even if not for himself, he had to be brave for the country, for his parents, siblings, and fellow citizens!


    Gu Yi regained hisposure and took a deep breath.


    At this point, the cold voice rang in his mind again.


    [As a first-time adventurer in the Weird Space, you are entitled to one free talent draw.]


    [Would you like to draw?]


    Gu Yi''s mood gradually calmed down upon hearing this.


    Each adventurer can draw a lottery and obtain an initial talent upon entering the Weird space for the first time.


    Some of these talents can strengthen the adventurer''s physical strength, making their movements more agile; others can enhance their mental strength, preventing them from being easily frightened by the monsters in the Weird space.


    It is widely recognized worldwide that talents that enhance physical strength are the most practical initial talents in the entire space, as many levels can be passed by simply escaping.


    At first, because he was too nervous, Gu Yi had forgotten about this, and it was not until the space reminded him that he remembered.


    "Draw talent."


    <i>Ding Ding Ding.</i>


    A bell rang in Gu Yi''s ears.


    [Congrattions to the adventurer for obtaining the SSS-level talent - (Infinite Deduction)!]


    [The skill of Infinite Deduction can assist adventurers in predicting all possible future events. Each deduction requires a certain amount of the host''s mental power. By silently stating the intention to begin deduction, the skill can be used.]


    [The deduction is immediate andpleted instantly, without affecting the progress in reality.]


    [At present, the adventurer''s mental power is 50/50.]


    <i>Infinite Deduction?</i>


    Gu Yi''s eyes shimmered, and although he didn''t quite understand the specific function of [Infinite Deduction], just hearing the SSS-level was enough to make him feel at ease.


    The probability of obtaining an SSS-level talent is one in ten million.


    Thest adventurer who awakened an SSS-level talent passed five levels in a row, while other yers could only pass an average of one to two levels.


    Gu Yi had not yet had the chance to explore his own talent when the surrounding scene changed again and his body involuntarily became like a puppet,pletely at the mercy of others.


    At this moment, Gu Yi was lying on a hospital bed, unable to move, and the sound of the system''s prompt came to his ears again.


    [The dungeon is about to open, please prepare yourselves, adventurers.]


    [Dungeon Name] <i>The Famous Doctor</i>


    [Dungeon Introduction] <i>Every night, you see your fellow patients disappear one after another, but when you ask those around you, they insist that they have never seen this patient. You are very worried, afraid that one day you will also suddenly disappear...</i>


    [Clearance Conditions]


    [1. Perfect Level: Investigate the truth behind Chongshan Hospital and catch the "unspeakable."


    2. Excellent Level: Sessfully escape from Chongshan Hospital.


    3. Normal Level: Survive in Chongshan Hospital for one month.]


    The pressure on Gu Yi''s body disappeared, and he regained his freedom, but he didn''t rush to get up from the bed. Instead, he closed his eyes and silently recited in his mind.


    "Begin deduction."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You use your talent skill for the first time, feeling excited.)


    (You get up from the bed and observe the environment around you.)


    (This is an ICU, with a bed against the wall, a bedside table next to the bed, and clothes scattered on the floor, as well as an empty cardboard box.)


    (You turn around and open the window.)


    (There is a fence outside the window, which is very strong and it is impossible to escape from the window.)


    (You turn around and try to find clues in the ward.)


    (The ward''s door is locked from the outside and cannot be opened.)


    (Youe to the side of the bed, uncover the sheets, mattress, and bedding, but find no clues or hints.)


    (You turn your head towards the bedside table and open the first drawer, finding only some pills and misceneous items inside.)


    (Knock knock knock - - - )


    (There is a knocking sound outside the door and someone asking about your condition.)


    (You don''t answer.)


    (The door opens and a doctor and two nurses walk into the ward.)


    (The doctor and nurses are all wearing bird masks.)


    (The doctor nces at you and checks the first drawer.)


    (He takes off his mask and his head immediately turns into a monster''s appearance.)


    (A bloody red scene appears in front of you.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends.)


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi suddenly opened his eyes and breathed a sigh.


    The simted scene was too realistic, even the feeling of the monster piercing his heart was perfectly simted. It can be regarded as experiencing a real death.


    In the first deduction, Gu Yi didn''t even leave the ward and was killed by the monster doctor without even finding any useful clues.


    "Damn it, why did I die without doing anything? What kind of instant death g did I trigger?"


    At this moment, Gu Yi''s mental power became 40/50, it seemed that it would cost 10 mental power to perform each deduction.


    In other words, Gu Yi must find effective clues in the remaining four deductions, otherwise, there will only be one dead end.


    Gu Yi only got one useful piece of information, which is that the doctors in the hospital are monsters. And he must have missed some crucial information, which caused him to be suddenly killed by the doctor.


    "Calm down, I must have missed something. Let''s do it again, begin deduction!"


    Taking a deep breath, Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You learned from your previous failure and didn''t wander around aimlessly. Instead, you focused on finding clues to clear the dungeon.)


    (Instead of searching the bed, you turned your attention to the bedside table.)


    (The bedside table has three drawers. You had already checked the first, so you started from the second)


    (The second was empty.)


    (On the third, you found only a fruit knife, which you put in your pocket.)


    (You still hadn''t found any clues, so youy down on the ground and finally found a note under the bed, near the wall.)


    (You took off your shoes and retrieved the note from the corner of the wall.)


    (The note was a hint.)


    ( [Patient Handbook]


    1. Take medicine on time three times a day.


    2. Please keep the ward clean at all times.


    3. People wearing bird beak masks are doctors or nurses, please follow their advice carefully.


    4. If you see blood dripping from the ceiling, do not panic, as this is normal.


    5. If you notice any equipment damage, please contact someone wearing an elephant mask for repairs immediately.


    6. There are always two people in the ICU, please keep this in mind. )


    £¨You flip over the paper and find a line of text written in blood.£©


    £¨"Do not take any medication given to you. They are a group of demons who will lead you into the abyss."£©

 Chapter 2: Contradictory Rules

    <h4>Chapter 2: Contradictory Rules</h4>


    (The paper contains contradictory rules, and you don''t know which one to believe.)


    (The first rule on the front tells you to take medication on time.)


    (The blood-written words on the back tell you not to take any medication they give you, iming that they are a group of devils who will lead you into the abyss.)


    (More frighteningly, the fifth rule on the paper says, "There are always two patients in the ICU," but you haven''t seen your roommate from the beginning to the end.)


    (You feel a chill down your spine. Could the "Unspeakable" mentioned in the introduction be right behind you?)


    (Or could they be the ''missing patient'' mentioned in the introduction?)


    (Knock, knock, knock-)


    (There is a knocking sound outside the door.)


    (You hurriedly put away the paper and took out a bunch of pills from the drawer and swallowed them.)


    (When the doctor and nurse saw that you didn''t respond, they walked into the ward.)


    (The nurse looked at the clothes all over the floor and cursed loudly.)


    (She took out a ballpoint pen from her pocket and pierced your eyeball.)


    (Your vision turned blood-red.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi exits the simtion, covering his eyes and recalling the scene of his tragic death just now with lingering fear.


    He has made a major breakthrough in this simtion. He now knows that the reason for his first instant death was that he did not take his medication on time, so the doctor killed him when they found out.


    The second time he died was because of the nurse. Before killing him, she nced at the pile of clothes on the ground, indicating that he had not kept the ward tidy.


    Therefore, it is evident that the content on the front page of the note is true, and the bloody writing on the back is not trustworthy.


    To confirm his thoughts, Gu Yi used his talent again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You wake up.)


    (You immediately tidy up the bed and pick up the clothes on the ground, neatly folding them and putting them in the second drawer of the bedside table. You fold the cardboard box and hide it under the mattress.)


    (You hide the fruit knife in the third drawer on your body, then turn around and look towards the door.)


    (Knock, knock, knock-)


    (The door sounds, and the doctor and nurse greet from outside.)


    (You respond.)


    (The doctor and nurse enter the ward.)


    (The nurse nces at the clean floor but doesn''t say anything.)


    (The doctor nods after opening the firstyer of the bedside table and then begins to check your physical condition.)


    (Doctor: Have you taken your medicine on time?)


    (You: One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night.)


    (Doctor: If you don''t take your medicine, your illness won''t get better.)


    (You: Yes.)


    (A dog barks outside the door.)


    (The doctors and nurses did not show any doubts. They seemed ustomed to hearing dogs barking in the hospital.)


    (You: Why are there dogs in the hospital?)


    (Doctor: There are no dogs in the hospital. It seems like your condition has worsened, we need to increase your dosage.)


    (You: Can I know what illness I have?)


    (Doctor: You have delusional disorder, you believe that your body does not belong to you. A while ago, you even imed to have seen a monster. Have you experienced any simr hallucinations recently?)


    (You: No.)


    (You feel puzzled.)


    (Could it be that the root cause of the previous two simtions ending in death was his own mental illness, mistaking doctors for monsters?)


    (If so, what about that rule on the note?)


    ("If you see blood dripping from the ceiling, don''t panic, it''s normal.")


    (This is clearly describing the hallucinations that ur during a mental illness episode. Why does the hint say that this is normal?)


    (Is this hint also problematic?)


    (You feel confused, and you feel that the rules on the note cannot bepletely trusted.)


    (Doctor: It seems like you are doing well today. We will arrange a new room for you tonight. After the ward rounds, you can go to the cafeteria for breakfast.)


    (You: Thank you.)


    (The doctors and nurses left, remembering to lock the door.)


    (You leaned against the door, begging the doctors and nurses to let you out, but they ignored you.)


    (You returned to the bed, contemting on the recent events.)


    (You begin to feel a splitting headache.)


    (Ten minutester, the headache bes unbearable.)


    (The ceiling of the ward starts to drip blood.)


    (Everything in front of you turns blood-red.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    "Why did I die again? I followed all the instructions!"


    Gu Yi''s face turned pale.


    He has already gone through the simtion three times, but none of themsted more than ten minutes.


    There must be something he missed!


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and focused his mind, using his talent once again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You hear the footsteps of the doctor and nurse. They are doing rounds in the next room and will be in your room soon.)


    (You quickly tidy up the room and take your medicine. The doctor and nursee in just as you finish.)


    (You have a brief conversation with them, and the doctor leaves a few words before leaving.)


    (You take out the piece of paper from under your bed and carefully read the contents.)


    (You are sure that you did not vite any instructions.)


    (The only thing you did not follow was the bloody message on the back of the paper.)


    (You decide to throw up the medicine.)


    (You grab the spittoon, prick your throat, and throw out the pills.)


    (You toss some trash over the pill to cover it up.)


    (You sit on the bed nervously for a while.)


    (Ten minutester.)


    (The ceiling of the hospital room started to drip blood.)


    (But you quickly realized it was your own hallucination and the blood drops disappeared soon.)


    (You figured it out. The prompt was trying to tell you to pretend to take the medicine in front of the medical staff, but to find an opportunity to spit it outter.)


    (The blood writing on the back of the note was not necessarily untrustworthy.)


    (Maybe you didn''t have a mental illness, and it was the pills that caused the hallucination. As long as you stopped taking them, the hallucination would disappear.)


    (However, this was just a spection, as there were too few clues.)


    (After a while, the door of the hospital room opened.)


    (The nurse told you that you could go to the cafeteria for breakfast now.)


    (You went to the corridor, and all the other patients were sickly. You heard the dog barking again.)


    (You asked other patients why there was a dog in the hospital.)


    (The patients didn''t say anything, only showing a puzzled expression, as if they were looking at a fool.)


    (You arrived at the cafeteria and found that the chef who was responsible for cooking was a weirdo wearing a pig''s head mask.)


    (You ordered a small pickled vegetable dish, a bowl of white porridge, and two meat buns.)


    (The pig head chef nced at you.)


    (He picked up the knife and split your head open.)


    (Your eyes turned blood-red.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    "Hah--"


    Gu Yi rubbed his head, sweating profusely.


    After four simtions in a row, he sessfully left the hospital room in the fourth attempt but ended up dying in the cafeteria.


    Just in the first ten minutes, there were so many instant death gs, and if he didn''t have his SSS-level talent, he probably wouldn''t even know how he died.


    There must be some rules in the cafeteria that he couldn''t vite, but he had overlooked them.


    At this point, Gu Yi only had 10 points of mental power left, and he didn''t need to waste it at this moment. After leaving the ward and arriving at the cafeteria, he would personally look for the prompt note and then do the simtion again.


    <i>Knock knock knock.</i>


    The doctor''s knocking sound came from next door, and the rounds began.


    Gu Yi quickly jumped out of bed, he didn''t have time to waste.

 Chapter 3: The Only Hope

    <h4>Chapter 3: The Only Hope</h4>


    In the real world,


    Another live broadcast of Weird World has started.


    Audiences from the Dragon Country were watching the progress of Gu Yi''s clearance on their screens, and people across the world were watching as well.


    At this moment, Gu Yi was lying motionless on a hospital bed. He has a young inexperienced face and looks like he has just graduated from college. His expression was stiff, and he seemed a little nervous.


    "Why isn''t he moving yet?"


    "Maybe the dungeon hasn''t started yet? He can''t move until it does."


    "Oh, adventurer''s data ising in."


    The strategy team''s experts looked at Gu Yi''s personal information, which detailed all the information rted to him.


    <i>Junior in the Information Engineering major.</i>


    <i>Hobbies: long-distance running, detective novels, and escape rooms.</i>


    From Gu Yi''s basic information, his hobbies seem to be of some help in clearing the Weird space.


    At this point, adventurers from other countries have already started to take action.


    Gu Yi from the Dragon Country is still lying on the bed, lost in thought.


    "What is this Dragon Country guy doing?"


    "Maybe he''s scared stiff?"


    "Look, our adventurer from the Lighthouse Country is amazing. He''s already found the note under the bed."


    "The adventurer from the Kimchi Country is an idiot, isn''t he? Why does he have to go and pry open the window?"


    At this moment, people around the world were watching the progress of the adventurers'' challenges, as it was rted to the fate of their entire country.


    The adventurer from the Lighthouse Country was the first to find the note. After finding the note, he took medicine and tidied up the room.


    The adventurer from the Kimchi Country found that he couldn''t pry open the fence outside the window, so he turned around and started looking for clues in the room.


    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>


    The doctor started knocking on the door of the next room, and all the adventurers looked at the door in surprise, not knowing what to do.


    It wasn''t until this moment that Gu Yi got up from the bed.


    "Damn, why is this kid only moving now?"


    "Wait, what is he doing?"


    The expert group from the Dragon Country was watching the screen closely, and they saw Gu Yi quickly pick up his clothes from the ground, neatly fold them, and put them into the second drawer of the bedside table with lightning speed.


    He opened the first drawer and without hesitation, took out a capsule and put it in his mouth.


    This series of actions flowed seamlessly as if rehearsed hundreds of times.


    "What is he doing? Is he going crazy?"


    "No, he''s not. The adventurer from the Lighthouse Country found a note with instructions on keeping the room clean and taking medicine on time... but Gu Yi didn''t even receive the note, how did he know about these instructions?"


    The expert group was puzzled.


    They continued to watch the screen.


    After exchanging a few words with the doctor and nurses, he sat on the bed, spitting out the pill he had just swallowed. Then, he took a fruit knife from the third drawer of the bedside table and put it in his pocket.


    The adventurer from the Kimchi Country didn''t tidy up the room in time and was beaten into a ho''s nest when the doctor came to check on them.


    The adventurer from the Sakura Country tidied up the room but was torn to pieces by the doctor who had turned into a monster before he even had a chance to take the medicine.


    The other adventurers also died in all sorts of ways.


    They didn''t even leave the room and died on the spot.


    "Oh my god, why did all these adventurers die?"


    "Why is this dungeon so difficult?"


    "Oh no, this dungeon is probably the hardest decryption dungeon in the past three years. I''d rather go race against zombies than go through this type of dungeon."


    "Don''t worry, aren''t there still adventurers from the Dragon Country and Lighthouse Country?"


    At this moment, only Gu Yi and the adventurer from Lighthouse Country were still alive.


    After spitting out the pill, Gu Yiy on the bed and rested with his eyes closed.


    However, the adventurer from the Lighthouse Country was restless, constantly clutching their head and yelling.


    Not long after, the adventurer from the Lighthouse Country was writhing on the ground, trying to dig something out of their throat, perhaps the pill they had just swallowed, but it was toote.


    The adventurer from the Lighthouse Country''s pupils dted as if they had seen a terrible sight before they died.


    At this point, all the viewers fell silent.


    Since the appearance of the Weird Space, this was probably the first time when the difficulty of a dungeon is so high that the death rate approached almost close to 100%.


    In recent years, experts have been saying that the difficulty of Weird space dungeons has been increasing year by year. ording to predictions, this year''s dungeon''s death rate will be as high as 90%.


    "Is no one alive?"


    "No... there is one."


    In the live broadcast footage of all countries, only Gu Yi from the Dragon Country was left.


    <i>-He is now thest hope of all mankind</i>.


    ...


    In Weird World.


    The nurse came to Gu Yi''s ward and knocked on his door.


    "It''s breakfast time, you can go to the cafeteria now."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and got up from the bed.


    During the rest just now, Gu Yi''s spiritual power was restored, and now he has 20/50 spiritual power left.


    "If I sleep, I can restore a little bit of spiritual power every minute. I still have two chances to deduce, so I have to save them."


    Gu Yi thought for a while.


    At this time, he did not find any contradictory rules, so he did not need to use his abilities.


    In the beginning, he was too nervous and missed many details.


    At least two of the previous four deductions should not have been used.


    Gu Yi picked up the piece of paper in his hand and carefully pondered it.


    Among them, is the fifth rule.


    [There are always two people living in the ICU, please keep this in mind.]


    This rule was the most concerning to Gu Yi. He even thought that this rule was also fake.


    <i>If it is true...</i>


    <i>-Why did he not see his roommate from beginning to end? Even if the roommate temporarily left the ward, why is there no other hospital bed in the ward?</i>


    <i>Could the clothes scattered on the ground be the clothes of the missing roommate?</i>


    <i>Or could it be that his body has two souls?</i>


    All of this was uncertain.


    Gu Yi walked with the other patients in the hallway. Just like in the deduction, he heard the barking of a dog halfway through, but he couldn''t see the dog anywhere.


    <i>-Am I really mentally ill? Or is it just an illusion caused by long-term medication?</i>


    <i>-I couldn''t be sure.</i>


    There were already too many unsolved mysteries umted at this point.


    The minimum requirement for clearance was to survive in Chongshan Hospital for one month, which seemed very simple, but in fact, it was not simple at all. Because no one could guarantee that they would not disappear inexplicably as mentioned in the dungeon introduction.


    Taking the initiative to crack the truth of the hospital was the way that aligned with Gu Yi''s character.


    At the entrance of the cafeteria, Gu Yi stopped and looked around. Finally, he found the second hint note on the trash can behind the door.


    <i>[Cafeteria Dining Rules]</i>


    <i>1. The cafeteria service time is from 7:00-8:00 in the morning, 12:00-1:00 at noon, and 6:00-7:00 in the evening. It is forbidden toe to the cafeteria at other times.</i>


    <i>2. Please do not make loud noises in the cafeteria. If you shout loudly, you will be warned for the first time, and punished for the second time.</i>


    <i>3. Please do not eat food outside the cafeteria. The hospital will not be responsible for any adverse consequences caused by eating and drinking indiscriminately.</i>


    <i>4. Every time you take a meal, please ensure the principle of taking one piece of meat, one vegetable, and one staple food. Also, remember the total cost must be 12 yuan and 50 cents.</i>


    <i>5. Except for doctors or staff members, other people are not allowed to leave their seats before finishing their meals, otherwise, they will be punished.</i>


    <i>6. If you see someone fainting or calling for help in the cafeteria, please choose to ignore it and wait for the staff to handle it.</i>


    Simrly, there was a string of bloody words on the back of this note:


    <i>"Are you still human if you see someone in danger and don''t help?"</i>

 Chapter 4: Breakfast Terror (part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 4: Breakfast Terror (part 1)</h4>


    Contradictory hints have appeared again!


    Prompt 6 requires ignoring others'' pleas for help, but the back of the note suggests that failing to save someone will lead to a lifetime of regret.


    Based on his first experience in the ward, Gu Yi spected that both pieces of information could be correct!


    The front of the note outlines what he needs to do in front of medical staff and personnel, while the back of the note details what he needs to do behind their backs.


    Both rules are crucial and must be followed, otherwise, he will trigger the instant death g.


    Gu Yi stood in front of the price list, calcted in his mind, and finally ordered a portion of salted duck, a small pickled vegetable, and a steamed bun.


    The Pig-headed chef did not give him any trouble.


    Carrying his food, Gu Yi found a ce to sit.


    Several patients sat next to him, all eating quietly and not daring to speak.


    "Hey, what kind of illness do you all have..."


    "Hush!"


    The patient made a motion to silence him and continued eating.


    Gu Yi quickly closed his mouth and couldn''t help but furrow his brows.


    <i>-Is this really a hospital? Even a prison doesn''t have such strict rules.</i>


    <i>ng!</i>


    Just as Gu Yi picked up his spoon, he suddenly saw the patient next to him fall down, with his head smashing into his food tray. The patient''s pupils dted and he looked at Gu Yi with a vacant expression.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Gu Yi asked subconsciously but suddenly felt a pain in his foot.


    It turned out that the patient opposite him had kicked him, reminding him not to talk too much.


    The Pig-headed chef walked up to Gu Yi and held up a sign that read "No loud noises."


    Gu Yi sneered in disbelief. He couldn''t believe that simply speaking a few words would be interpreted as "making loud noises."


    The patient next to Gu Yi had dted pupils and his face gradually turned pale. His mouth opened and closed, clearly trying to say "Help me."


    Obviously, the pig-headed chef also had to abide by the cafeteria''s rules. Even when he saw the patient suddenly falling ill, he did not make any move.


    Gu Yi immediately closed his eyes and began to deduce.


    (Deduction begins.)


    (You dare not directly help the patient because it conflicts with the cafeteria''s rules, which would trigger an instant death g.)


    (You looked around and saw a doctor eating behind you. They were wearing bird masks and didn''t notice anyone fainting here.)


    (You thought for a moment.)


    (You couldn''t speak and couldn''t move around before finishing your meal. Could you use other methods to get the doctor''s attention?)


    (You picked up your spoon and threw it towards the doctor behind you.)


    (The doctor''s mask was made of ceramics. You threw the spoon too hard and it directly made a crack in the mask, making a loud noise.)


    (The doctor noticed you and the patient who fainted.)


    (He walked over and carried the patient away.)


    (Just as you were relieved, the Pig-headed chef walked over and held up a "No loud noises" sign toward you.)


    (The Pig-headed chef grabbed your cor and pulled you out, leaving you feeling powerless and unable to resist.)


    (You were sent to a small dark room.)


    (There are no windows here, and the space is narrow, only enough for one person to stand.)


    (You knock on the door loudly, but no one answers.)


    (You listen for a while and realize that the chef has left.)


    (You look up and see a venttion duct above you. You''re tall enough to reach it on tiptoe.)


    (The grille on the duct is sturdy, so you take out a concealed fruit knife and slowly unscrew it.)


    (It takes you ten minutes to finally pry open the grille above you.)


    (You jump up and climb into the venttion duct.)


    (The duct is full of dust, and you curl up and crawl inside.)


    (You find a suitable location and continue to pry open the next grille with the knife.)


    (You jump down from the duct after opening the grille.)


    (You''re in the inpatient area, and next to you is the bathroom.)


    (Most of the patients and doctors are in the cafeteria and no one pays attention to you.)


    (Your hand is itching, and when you lift up your shirt, you find ck fur growing on your wrist.)


    (You start to panic.)


    (You go down the lobby and find the hospital map)


    (You jot down the location of the emergency room.)


    (You avoid the doctors'' gaze and sessfully find the emergency room.)


    (The emergency room is full of nging sounds, and you even hear doctors using chainsaws and patients screaming in agony.)


    (The ck fur on your wrist begins to spread toward your elbow.)


    (You search around and find a new clue on a bulletin board in the hallway.)


    ( [Doctor First Aid Handbook] )


    (1. Whenever you find a patient injured, unconscious, or having an episode, no matter what you are doing, please send them to the emergency room for rescue as soon as possible.


    2. Doctors must wear bird beak masks throughout the emergency treatment.


    3. If someone breaks into the ward during emergency treatment, please call the security department to send the intruder to Room 0.


    5. If amputation cannot stop the deterioration of the patient''s condition, please send the patient directly to the crematorium.)


    (You flip the [First Aid Handbook] and find two lines of bloody words behind it.)


    ("I''m not sick! I''m not sick! I''m not sick!")


    ("I am human! I am human! I am human!")


    (You feel shocked.)


    (What kind of illness requires amputation treatment?)


    (The door of the emergency room suddenly opened.)


    (Two doctors wearing bird beak masks came out pushing a transfer bed, and aatose patient was lying on it, murmuring and with all limbspletely amputated.)


    (You question the doctor about what they are doing.)


    (The doctor ignores you and pushes the bed into the elevator.)


    (You follow into the elevator.)


    (You: What happened to my friend?)


    (Doctor: It''s breakfast time now, you should be in the cafeteria.)


    (You: Where are you taking my friend?)


    (Doctor: It''s none of your business.)


    (No matter what you say next, the doctor ignores you.)


    (The elevator stops in the basement, and as soon as the door opens, you can see the words "Crematorium" outside.)


    (The doctor pushes the patient into the crematorium.)


    (You want to stop them, but you can''t beat the doctor.)


    (You followed them, watching as the still-breathing person was pushed into the crematorium.)


    (The sound of painful screams could be heard from inside the crematorium.)


    (You felt very guilty, and your heart feels like being torn into pieces.)


    (You notice that fur had grown all over your face.)


    (You had be a monster.)


    (You are no longer human.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    "Hahh..."


    Gu Yi held his chest and let out a muffled groan.


    When he saw hispanion being killed before his very eyes, he felt like his heart had been pierced.


    This time, his death was due to the guilt he felt after witnessing the killing of hisrade. "Unspeakable" used its eerie power to turn him into a monster, ultimately leading to the failure of the deduction.


    Gu Yi nced at the patient next to him, who still looked painfully distressed.


    To save or not to save, it was death either way.


    Trying every possible means to save them, but still being unable to bring them back to life, was just as fatal.


    Gu Yi felt a sense of despair. <i>The game rules in this eerie world were unexpectedly difficult!</i>

 Chapter 5: Breakfast Terror (part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 5: Breakfast Terror (part 2)</h4>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and started the deduction again.


    This was hisst chance to simte the scenario.


    (Deduction starts.)


    (You didn''t act rashly.)


    (You calmed yourself down and believed that even though the situation wasplicated, you could still find a way to clear the game.)


    (You quickly stuffed food in your mouth while thinking about the clues you got from the previous simtion.)


    (1. "Loud noise" refers not only to speaking loudly. Any noise not rted to eating is considered a vition. After two vitions, they will put you in solitary confinement, but you can escape through the venttion duct. Currently, it is unknown what consequences getting caught while escaping will bring.)


    (2. This hospital is ruthless and treats patients as prisoners or expendables. As long as they cannot be cured, they are thrown into the crematorium and burned alive.)


    (However, it is also possible that the diseases on the patients are very terrible, and not burning them may cause even worse consequences. The information is too limited to make a judgment.)


    (3. Not only in the ward but also all the windows outside the hospital have fences. Without better tools, it is impossible to pry open the fence. Even if you escape from the window, the outside of the hospital is surrounded by a three-meter-high wall, which is almost impossible to climb over.)


    (4. You noticed a detail that no one in the hospital uses a mobile phone, and thendline at the reception can onlymunicate internally. Therefore, you cannot call for help from the outside world.)


    (You nced at the wristband of the patient beside you and silently memorized his patient number.)


    (You finished your food and can now move freely.)


    (You walked up to the doctor and gently patted his shoulder.)


    (The doctor looked up and nced at you.)


    (You didn''t say anything and gave up your position so the doctor could see theatose patient.)


    (The doctor quickly lifted the patient and took him to the emergency room.)


    (You followed behind.)


    (You continue to explore the hospital ande across a schedule of the patients'' daily routine at the nurse''s desk.)


    ( [Patients Daily Schedule] )


    (1. Morning rounds from 6:30-7:00 am


    2. Breakfast from 7:00-8:00 am


    3. Free time from 8:00 am-12:00 pm


    4. Lunch from 12:00-1:00 pm


    5. Nap time from 1:00-2:00 pm


    6. Treatment time from 2:00-6:00 pm


    7. Dinner from 6:00-7:00 pm


    8. Treatment time from 7:00-9:00 pm


    9. Lights out at 9:00 pm)


    (Patients are advised to strictly adhere to the schedule for their own speedy recovery.)


    (You check the back of the schedule but there are no hidden messages.)


    (You believe that the messages written in blood are on your side. Since it doesn''t object to the schedule, you decide to follow it.)


    (You didn''t miss any opportunity to find any useful information, but you don''t find any valuable clues.)


    (While the nurse is not paying attention, you find aputer and enter the patient''s ID number to ess their medical record.)


    ( [Patient] Xu Nian)


    ( [ID] *******)


    ( [Medical Record] Severe cognitive impairment and mania.)


    (The medical record clearly states that it is a mental illness, but the doctor''s treatment method involves surgical procedures, even to the point of amputation.)


    (You enter your own ID number.)


    (Theputer prompts that you do not have the authorization to ess this patient''s medical record.)


    (A barking sound startles you.)


    (You put down the mouse and look around for the source of the barking, but find nothing.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (Most of the staff here wear different masks.)


    (The doctors and nurses wear beak masks, and the chefs wear pig head masks. Perhaps by wearing different masks, one can perform different roles?)


    (You feel excited about your bold guess.)


    (You decide to steal a mask from the doctor''s changing room.)


    (You observe the surveince camera on the ceiling.)


    (For privacy reasons, the camera is not aimed at the changing room.)


    (You walk into the changing room, luckily no one notices you.)


    (You hide behind the locker, waiting for the opportunity.)


    (Everyone is taking a shower, you run out and steal a mask and clothes.)


    (You are confident that no one except the owner will know about your theft.)


    (You rush into the emergency room.)


    (At this time, the doctor is performing surgery on a patient named Xu Nian.)


    (Once you put on the beak mask, everything in your vision changes.)


    (Xu Nian''s body is covered with variousbels, with a bunch of meaningless codes written on them.)


    (Doctor: What are you doing? Hand me the hemostatic forceps.)


    (You walk to the operating table.)


    (You: What are you doing?)


    (Doctor: The patient is already critically ill and needs an amputation. If we cannot stop the virus from spreading, we will have to cremate him.)


    (You: Can I try?)


    (You tear off thebels on Xu Nian''s body.)


    (Xu Nian indeed recovers.)


    (The doctor praises your medical skills in various ways.)


    (You were worried about being caught stealing, so you made an excuse and left.)


    (Outside the emergency room, you ran into the owner of the mask.)


    (The owner cursed at you and used you of stealing.)


    (You remembered rule 2 in the First Aid Manual: "If someone enters the ward during emergency treatment, call security to take the intruder to Room 0.")


    (You immediately picked up the phone next to the door and called security.)


    (The owner looked frightened and he hurries to turn around and leave.)


    (Security personnel appeared at the entrance of the emergency room, wearing dog masks.)


    (They caught the owner and took him to Room 0.)


    (You pretended to be calm and walked out of the emergency room.)


    (You were afraid of being caught for stealing, so you quickly went to the garbage room on the first floor and threw the mask and clothes into the garbage pipe.)


    (You turned around and saw security personnel standing behind you.)


    (Security: Someone reported you for stealing, and we have investigated the surveince footage. The evidence is conclusive.)


    (You: I didn''t...)


    (Security: Come with us.)


    (Security grabbed your cor and limbs and brought you to Room 0.)


    (Room 0 was empty with only four white walls.)


    (You looked up and saw a giant spider descending from above.)


    (You try to evade.)


    (The spider moves very quickly and sessfully grabs you.)


    (You are torn into pieces by the giant spider.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again, with a cold sweat on his forehead. His mental strength was exhausted, and he still hadn''t found a way to sessfully save that patient.


    He noticed a small tuft of ck hair growing on the back of his hand.


    If he didn''t take action to help this patient who was having a seizure, he would soon be a monster due to the guilt in his heart, triggering an instant-death g.


    He had no choice but to take a risk!

 Chapter 6: The Signboard in the Square

    <h4>Chapter 6: The Signboard in the Square</h4>


    In the real world,


    Unspeakable forces have begun to invade other countries, and many patients in hospitals are inexplicably dying in their beds.


    People all over the world are suffering unbearably.


    Now, everyone''s attention is focused on Gu Yi, the challenger from the Dragon Country.


    If Gu Yi canplete the perfect level clearance, not only the strange hospital in Dragon Country but also all the strange hospitals in the world will disappear at the same time.


    On the live broadcast screen,


    Gu Yi was eating with his head down, and the patient next to him was about to suffocate.


    "Why doesn''t Gu Yi save him?"


    "The rules of the cafeteria do not allow random movement."


    "But isn''t the back of the note saying that he can''t ignore someone dying?"


    "It makes me so angry. It''s better to die early and let the whole world be destroyed."


    The barrage was in a mess, and the Dragon Country expert group was also discussing nervously.


    "This is almost an unsolvable situation. We don''t know where the bottom line of ''loud noise'' is. Is it feasible to make other noises to attract doctors?"


    "This is too risky. Gu Yi has already vited the rules once, and if he vites them again, he will face punishment."


    "It doesn''t matter, I guess Gu Yi has already found the correct solution."


    In the live screen,


    Gu Yi quickly finished all the food, walked behind the doctor, patted him on the shoulder, and then stood quietly on the side.


    The doctor noticed the unconscious patient and immediately picked him up and rushed to the emergency room.


    "Why didn''t he just call the doctor directly?"


    "People like you will surely die an early death. You can''t even survive for a minute in the Weird space."


    "Just remember the cafeteria dining rules before you speak, okay?"


    The experts in Dragon Country ignored the bickering in the barrage and carefully analyzed every move made by Gu Yi.


    "He is really calm and has quick thinking."


    "He may be thest hope for all humanity!"


    "I think he has already figured out the meaning behind the note, otherwise he wouldn''t have found a solution so quickly."


    People all over the world were closely watching the screen, their hopes attached to Gu Yi.


    ...


    In Weird World,


    Off course, Gu Yi was unaware of what people in the real world were discussing. He just followed the conclusion deduced from his analysis and quickly arrived at the door of the changing room.


    During his previous deduction, Gu Yi discovered an interesting thing.


    When the doctor discovered that the beak mask was missing, instead of reporting to the security department immediately, he would first search around and even ignore the rules in the First Aid Handbook and barge into the emergency room.


    This could only mean one thing.


    <i>-In the eyes of the doctors, discovering the mask missing was even more terrifying than viting the First Aid Handbook.</i>


    They dared not admit that they had lost the mask, so they could only rely on their own strength to search for it.


    Therefore, before the doctors discovered their loss, Gu Yi was safe and didn''t have to worry about being caught by the security department.


    As long as he could steal the mask, save the patient, and then put the mask back in the changing room as quickly as possible, he couldplete the task perfectly without being caught.


    Just now, he wasted a lot of time in the corridor when he deduced the n by himself, but now he doesn''t need to anymore!


    Gu Yi skillfully walked into the locker room and quickly stole a set of doctor''s clothes, which looked so natural that even the doctors would have difficulty distinguishing him from their own.


    His heart was pounding in his throat, but he still walked calmly into the emergency room.


    The other two emergency doctors took a quick nce at Gu Yi and quickly exined the situation.


    "Doctor Gui, this patient suddenly fainted while having breakfast, and we are preparing to perform surgery on him..."


    Before the doctor could finish his sentence, Gu Yi had alreadypleted the surgery and the patient had almost instantly emerged from the danger zone.


    "Damn, what kind of technique is this?"


    "I have never seen or heard of it before."


    "Where is Doctor Gui going?"


    Gu Yi didn''t want to listen to the doctors'' ttery, he had to quickly return the mask to the locker room.


    The two doctors followed him.


    Gu Yi quickly sneaked into the locker room, threw the clothes into the next locker, and quickly opened an empty one to hide inside.


    In the narrow locker, Gu Yi could only hear his own heartbeat.


    "Where is Doctor Gui?"


    "Maybe he went to take a shower?"


    "Why is he so unsociable?"


    "Forget it, he has this kind of personality, just ignore him. Let''s quickly send the patient back to his own ward."


    The two emergency doctors left shoulder to shoulder.


    Gu Yi leaned against the locker, took a deep breath, and finally, the ck hair in his hand disappeared.


    At this moment, a strange spatial prompt sounded in his ears.


    [The adventurer has sessfully resolved the crisis of the patient and feels happy. Your mental strength level has increased. You can choose one of the following two options for your reward.]


    [1. Recover your mental power while being awake- 10 mental power per hour.]


    [2. Increase your mental power limit by 20 points.]


    After some thought, Gu Yi chose the first option without hesitation.


    His mental strength had been depleted, and relying solely on sleep to recover would be too inefficient.


    After waiting until there was no one around, Gu Yi left the doctor''s changing room.


    When he had saved the patient in the emergency room earlier, Gu Yi had torn off thebels from Xu Nian''s body and put them in his pocket. It was only now that he had time to take them out and look at them.


    To his surprise, when he inspected thebels with his own eyes, they had all turned into decaying worms.


    Gu Yi couldn''t bear the disgust and instinctively threw the worms on the ground and stomped on them.


    <i>-Why did the worms turn into jumbled-upbels after I put on the bird mask? </i>


    Gu Yi found it hard to understand.


    He spected that if he put on other animal masks, he might see a different world and gain different clues. And these clues were likely rted to the truth behind the hospital!


    "It is now exactly eight in the morning. All patients are requested not to loiter inside the hospital and to proceed to the front square for free activities."


    The broadcast sounded.


    A long string of footsteps came from behind Gu Yi.


    The patients rushed downstairs like a flock of sheep, not speaking to each other and just walking straight toward the door.


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to be careless and immediately followed the crowd. He was afraid that even during free time, there might be rules that couldn''t be vited.


    Gu Yi arrived at the square in front of the hospital. A huge signboard was ced on the east side of the hospital entrance, which recorded the [Square Usage Rules].


    <i>[Square Usage Rules]</i>


    <i>1. The square in front of the hospital is open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. It is forbidden to enter the square at other times.</i>


    <i>2. You can do anything in the square, but you are not allowed to leave the hospital.</i>


    <i>3. There are many entertainment items avable in the square, and you can enjoy them to your heart''s content, but the hospital would not be responsible for any case of casualties.</i>


    <i>4. This hospital does not keep dogs. If you hear a dog barking, please contact the security department of the square or the doctors in the hospital in time. You may have been infected.</i>


    <i>5. There is a small shop in the southeast corner of the square, but please do not try to gamble with the owner, otherwise, the consequences will be at your own risk.</i>


    Below the square usage rules, there was still a string of bloody words, but this time the content made Gu Yi shudder.


    <i>"Dogs are the friends of %$#@! human friends of friends ***"</i>


    <i>"Human human humanrf, human naturexK, human natureui exist $****zdde"</i>


    <i>"I am not human"</i>


    <i>"I am still human! I am human!"</i>

 Chapter 7: The Bet

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Bet</h4>


    The blood-stained writing in the past was clear and even had punctuation marks.


    However, this time the blood-stained writing was not only blurry and heavily altered, but the content had be fragmented like written deliriously.


    Gu Yi could only barely understand a few words.


    It was apparent that when "I" left this string of writing, they were on the brink of a mental breakdown. "I" seemed to question their own human identity.


    "Dogs are friends of humans."


    This was the first part of the blood-stained writing.


    Given the unclear and sloppy handwriting, Gu Yi remained skeptical of this clue.


    To others, the barking of dogs did not exist.


    But it was also possible that they could hear the barking of dogs, but were constrained by the power of rules and dared not acknowledge the existence of the bark.


    The barking of dogs must also be a key clue to unlocking the truth about the hospital.


    The identity of "I" is also an area worthy of reasoning and exploration.


    During his time in the ward, there was a rule that "there must always be two people in ICU". Perhaps the fellow patient that Gu Yi couldn''t see was "I".


    "So... the role I''m ying now is actually schizophrenic? But from what I can see now, I don''t have any signs of schizophrenia. It''s also possible that the possible second personality in my body has been stripped from my body and has be the ''Unspeakable'' in this dungeon?"


    Gu Yi stood in front of the bulletin board talking to himself, carefully analyzing all the clues he had gathered.


    So far, he did not know what illness this hospital was treating, or what specific treatment methods they used. However, in the afternoon, Gu Yi would have the opportunity to experience the hospital''s treatment process.


    Gu Yi ran to the edge of the square and walked to a treadmill, strolling along with other patients.


    There were many guards patrolling around the square, all wearing dog masks and working meticulously. Anyone who dared to look at the hospital gate would be harshly reprimanded by them.


    "Don''t even think about running away, it''s not the time yet,"


    Gu Yi shook his head and chatted with the surrounding patients while walking on the treadmill.


    He found these patients were all very indifferent.


    No matter what Gu Yi said, they ignored him.


    Moreover, the other patients were all ying on their own and rarelymunicated.


    Even the two patients ying frisbee together did notmunicate with each other from beginning to end. asionally, a fewughs could be heard, but they quickly subsided.


    <i>-These patients must also have problems!</i>


    Gu Yi used various fitness equipment and spent two hours umting enough mental power.


    His mental power had now reached 20 points.


    With enough mental power, Gu Yi immediately began a new round of deduction.


    (Deduction begins.)


    (You have tried all the sports projects on the square, but there are no effective clues.)


    (You got off the treadmill.)


    (You found a small shop in the southeast corner of the square.)


    (The Shop owner was a person wearing a Pig head mask, but this person''s figure was slimmer than the chef in the kitchen.)


    (Shop owner: What do you want to buy?)


    (You: What do you have here?)


    (Shop owner: Daily necessities, leisure snacks, everything.)


    (You: Everything? Then can you tell me the truth about this hospital?)


    (Shop owner: I don''t understand what you''re talking about.)


    (You coldlyugh, pointing to the signboard next to the shop, which reads the gambling rules.)


    ( [Gambling Rules]


    1. You can gamble with the Shop owner, and the wager can be on anything, but the wager you can offer can only be your life.


    2. The gambling agreement binds both parties and no one can back out.


    3. The Shop owner only epts gambling invitations from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)


    (Shop owner: So, you want to gamble with me? Well, just to be clear, I don''t know what you mean by "the truth," but I can tell you how to find it. Are you willing to bet with me?)


    (You: I am willing.)


    (Hearing that someone wants to gamble, all the surrounding patients gather around, shaking their heads at you, urging you not to gamble, but you ignore them.)


    (The Shop owner takes out three cards, two of which are aces, and one is a joker.)


    (Shop owner: Find the joker, and you win. If you lose, you''ll have to give me your life.)


    (You: Let''s do it.)


    (The Shop owner shows the three cards, then flips them over onto the table and quickly shuffles the order.)


    (You can''t see the Shop owner''s movements clearly.)


    (You can''t even be sure which card is the Joker.)


    (Shop owner: Guess.)


    (You point to the card in the middle.)


    (The Shop owner flips the cards over, revealing an ace.)


    (Shop owner: You lose.)


    (The Shop owner pulls out a gun and shoots you in the head.)


    (Everything goes blood red before your eyes.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction ends)


    Gu Yi exited the deduction mode.


    After dying so many times, Gu Yi had be ustomed to death.


    "I must have been distracted just now, let''s try again."


    (Deduction begins.)


    (This time, you found the Shop owner directly and exined that you want to gamble with him.)


    (The Shop owner readily agrees.)


    (Your eyes are fixed on the Joker card, without blinking. You are sure you have tracked it down.)


    (You choose the card in the middle.)


    (The Shop owner flips the card and it''s an Ace.)


    (The Shop owner pulls out an axe from under the table and splits your head open.)


    (Your vision turns red.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    "How could I be wrong again?"


    Gu Yi shook his head and carefully recalled every detail of the previous two simtions.


    Finally, his eyes lit up and he realized that the Shop owner must have cheated.


    <i>-He must have been cheating!</i>


    Gu Yi walks confidently to the small shop in the southeast corner.


    "What do you want to buy?"


    "I want to gamble with you."


    "Gamble? Have you read the rules?"


    "Of course."


    "What do you want?"


    "I want to know the truth about the hospital."


    "I can only tell you the way to find the truth. Even so, do you still want to gamble with me?"


    The Shop owner took out three ying cards from his pocket and ced them on the table.


    The other patients around them saw that Gu Yi wants to gamble and shake their heads and wave their hands, trying to dissuade him.


    But Gu Yi shook his head and insisted on gambling.


    Just like before, the Shop owner shuffled the cards and his movements and techniques were exactly the same as in the simtion.


    "If you pick the joker, you win."


    Gu Yi pointed to the third card with his hand, "This one..."


    The Shop owner reached out to flip the card over, but Gu Yi stops him immediately.


    "Wait, let me flip it over." Gu Yi says, "This one isn''t the Joker."


    Then Gu Yi flipped over the third card, and it was an Ace.


    "This one isn''t either."


    After that, Gu Yi flipped over the first card, it was also an Ace.


    "So, the Joker must be in the middle."


    The Shop owner blinked and secretly hid the Joker card he had switched in his sleeve. He nodded reluctantly to Gu Yi and pointed to the shop behind him. "Come with me, I''ll give you something."


    Gu Yi followed the Shop owner.


    The Shop owner rummaged through a box and took out a pair of 3D sses and gave them to Gu Yi, along with the instructions for how to use them.


    Clearly, this was also one of the strange rules created by the Unspeakable.


    <i>[Instructions for use]</i>


    <i>1. You can use these sses to watch the 3D movie "Monster Siege".</i>


    <i>2. If you see a monster walking out of the screen through the sses, please take them off immediately and take three steps back.</i>


    <i>3. Do not wear these sses at ordinary times.</i>


    Gu Yi flipped the instructions over and saw a string of bloody words.


    <i>"Believe me, don''t look! They''re all fake!"</i>

 Chapter 8: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (1)

    <h4>Chapter 8: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (1)</h4>


    After seeing the message written in blood, Gu Yi became even more confused.


    From the beginning until now, the message written in blood had been helping him progress through the game, but this time it was telling him not to use the 3D sses.


    If he followed the previous pattern:


    In front of the doctors, he must follow the rules on the front of the note; behind the eyes of the doctors, he must follow the rules on the back of the note.


    The hospital probably didn''t want him to uncover the truth, so the rules on the front of the note should limit the yer''s freedom.


    "I" should be eager to leave the hospital, and also wants the yer to understand the truth behind it. Therefore, "I" would write helpful tips for the yer in blood on the back of the notes.


    But the rules on this note clearly contradict the function of the 3D sses.


    The 3D sses are a prop that can uncover the truth behind the hospital.


    So, the rules on the front of the note should prevent or limit him from using the sses, and the rules on the back of the note should tell him how to use the sses without the doctors'' knowledge.


    Now, these two sides seem to have switched ces?


    The rules on the front of the note tell him how to safely use the sses, while the rules on the back of the note tell him not to trust the sses.


    <i>It''s too bizarre...</i>


    Which side should he believe?


    At this moment, he can''t reason or prove anything.


    After finding more clues, Gu Yi had to use his talent to do trial and error before concluding anything.


    "Shopkeeper, where can I watch the movie ''Monster Siege''?"


    "In the archive room."


    "Where is the archive room?"


    "You already know enough, go out and don''t affect my business."


    The manager impatiently waved his hand and pushed Gu Yi out.


    Gu Yi put his 3D sses back in their case and continued to explore the square.


    There were still two hours before lunchtime, so Gu Yi continued to search but still did not find any noteworthy clues.


    He was concise when he had nothing to say.


    After lunch at 2 p.m., Gu Yi and the other patients returned to their ward, and he hid his 3D sses under the pillow.


    After the nap, everyone queued up and came to the so-called treatment room.


    Before entering the treatment room, the doctor gave each patient medication one by one.


    Gu Yi hid the pill under his tongue when the doctor was not paying attention and then secretly spat it out when the doctor left.


    "Everyone, enter the treatment room."


    Gu Yi nodded and turned to the treatment room.


    There were ten treatment pods in the treatment room, which looked likerge coffins and made Gu Yi feel nauseous for no reason.


    With the help of a nurse, Gu Yi crawled into the treatment pod.


    After the nurse pressed the buttons on several machines in the treatment room, she left.


    The other wall of the treatment room was made of transparent ss. If there were any problems with the treatment room, the nurse coulde over immediately.


    At this point, Gu Yi had umted 50 points of mental power. As soon as the nurse left, he used his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You try to push open the treatment pod in front of you, but the switch to open the cover is on the outside, and you can''t open it from the inside for the time being.)


    (You look at the other patients, who have all closed their eyes and fallen asleep.)


    (You hear the sound of dogs barking in the distance, and you turn your head to look at the ss window of the treatment room.)


    (A group of people wearing Deer masks passes by the window, all dressed in suits and not looking like hospital staff.)


    (What''s more, there are two people with pig masks apanying the Deer-headed people.)


    (They stop at the door of each treatment room to observe the condition of the patients inside.)


    (When they pass by your treatment room, your eyes meet with theirs.)


    (The Deer-headed person points to you.)


    (The nurse immediatelyes to your treatment room and opens the door.)


    (Nurse: Congrattions.)


    (You: Congrattions for what?)


    (The nurse takes you to the Deer-headed person.)


    (The Deer-headed person touches your head, and you try to avoid it.)


    (Deer-headed person: Come with me.)


    (You: Where are we going?)


    (Deer-headed person: Don''t you dislike it here? I''ll take you out.)


    (You are very surprised.)


    (The Deer-headed person grabs your arm and walks toward the outside of the treatment room.)


    (ck hair begins to grow on your arm.)


    (You try to break free from the control of the Deer-headed person, but they easily pull you back.)


    (You try to speak, but only make barking sounds.)


    (You have turned into a monster.)


    (You are no longer human.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, staring nkly into space.


    This time, he triggered the "instant death" g inexplicably again, achieving the bad ending of "turning into a monster".


    As Gu Yi had guessed before, all the characters in this world wear masks, and the world they see should be different depending on the mask they wear.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (This time, you didn''t open your eyes. You chose to pretend to be asleep and carefully analyze the information you currently have.)


    (The Deer-headed Man is a new character. When you meet him in the treatment room and make eye contact, he will take you away and eventually achieve the ending of "turning into a monster".)


    (He is obviously not someone from the hospital.)


    (He wanders around in the treatment room and seems to be doing some sort of selection, taking away patients who meet certain conditions.)


    (Perhaps being able to stay awake in the treatment pod is one of the conditions?)


    (You close your eyes and listen carefully to the footsteps outside.)


    (Once you confirm that the Deer-headed Man is far away, you open your eyes.)


    (The Deer-headed Man has taken away another female patient.)


    (You are not familiar with this female patient.)


    (The female patient is half-squinting her eyes at this moment as if sleepwalking. The Deer-headed Man has to hold her arm to help her walk.)


    (Based on this, you specte that being able to stay awake in the treatment pod is not a necessary condition for the Deer-headed Man to select patients.)


    (The Deer-headed Man takes the female patient away, and you can no longer see them.)


    (You unravel the mystery of "patients disappearing one by one".)


    (All the patients were taken away by the Deer-headed Man while they were receiving treatment in the pod.)


    (However...)


    (Why do they take away patients? What happens after they take them away? These mysteries are still unknown.)


    (At this point, another Deer-headed persones in.)


    (You close your eyes.)


    (You hear the Deer-headed person speaking outside the window of your treatment room, he seems to have taken a liking to you.)


    (A nurse walks in.)


    (You feel a bit nervous.)


    (Anyway, since this is just a simtion, you decide to make a bold attempt.)


    (The nurse helps you open the treatment pod door.)


    (While the nurse is opening the door, you jump out quickly.)


    (You escape from the treatment room rapidly.)


    (The nurse behind you yells loudly, and several other nurses run over to stop you.)


    (You realize you can''t beat these nurses.)


    (You take out a fruit knife to threaten them.)


    (The nurse picks up a chair next to her and smashes your head with it.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and sighed in frustration.


    He couldn''t beat the security department or the ?doctor, and now he couldn''t even beat a ?nurse. It was clear that everyone in this hospital had a strongerbat ability than him. It was impossible for him to rely on physical fitness alone to get through the dungeon.


    Forcibly escaping would result in death.


    Being taken away by the Deer-headed person would also result in death.


    What''s more important was that Gu Yi hadn''t figured out why the Deer-headed person was interested in him. If he didn''t solve this mystery, he would still be taken away by the Deer-headed person.


    <i>Was he going to die in the treatment room today?</i>

 Chapter 9: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (2)

    <h4>Chapter 9: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (2)</h4>


    Gu Yi calmed his emotions and began to deduce again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You close your eyes.)


    (You carefully summarize the clues you just obtained.)


    (The Deer-headed person does not base their selection on whether someone has their eyes open or closed, but if one were to make eye contact with them, they would likely be chosen by the Deer-headed person.)


    (In addition, there is a group of Pig-headed people who have been apanying the Deer-headed person on the tour.)


    (The merchants in the hospital, such as the chefs who sell food and the shop owners in the stores, all wear pig masks.)


    (Therefore, the hospital is involved in the business of buying and selling living human beings! Those Deer-headed people are clearly selecting merchandise. And the Pig-headed people are sales consultants who help the hospital buy and sell living humans.)


    (Doctors only have to burn the patients if they can''t cure them, which is enough to prove that in their eyes, patients are justmodities and not living.)


    (Except for patients, everyone else here is a monster, and humans are themodities they buy and sell.)


    (You believe that your reasoning is getting closer to part of the truth.)


    (But it is not enough to reach the perfect custom clearance.)


    (Why do monsters buy and sell humans? What do they do with them after they buy them? How did "I" became unspeakable in this world? What is the "illness" of the patients?)


    (You do not rush to conclude; your top priority now is to find a way to avoid today''s crisis and not be taken away by the Deer-headed person.)


    (You close your eyes.)


    (You hear the Deer-headed person passing by your window.)


    (You stole a nce and saw the Deer-headed person leading the female patient away.)


    (You tried to analyze the simrities between yourself and the female patient.)


    (1. You both are patients.)


    (2. The female patient''s eyes were open when she slept, and so were yours.)


    (3. You both are rtively good-looking.)


    (You couldn''t find any other simrities.)


    (You silently recorded the female patient''s bed number and decided to investigate her medical recordster to gather more information.)


    (Since you didn''t have a n at the moment, you decided to try a different approach.)


    (You took out the fruit knife and attempted to break through the treatment pod from the inside.)


    (You stabbed a slit in the pod.)


    (You used the knife to slide between the seams of the pod door and broke the lock, but the knife also broke in the process.)


    (You looked outside the window and saw that no one was paying attention to you. You used all your strength to push open the pod door.)


    (You jumped out of the treatment pod.)


    (The pod emitted an rm.)


    (You panicked and hid at the bottom of the pod.)


    (A nurse came in to check, but she didn''t see you.)


    (You hid at the bottom of the pod and waited for the nurse to leave.)


    (After a while, the broadcast started reporting news of your escape, and you saw security personnel searching for you outside the ss windows.)


    (A burly man entered the treatment room.)


    (He bent down, got on the ground, and locked eyes with you.)


    (He was wearing an elephant mask.)


    (You remembered the hint on the first note.)


    ("If you notice any equipment damage, please contact someone wearing an elephant mask for repairs immediately.")


    (The elephant man was probably a hospital repairman.)


    (He dragged you out from under the pod and smashed your head with a hammer.)


    (Your vision turned blood red.)


    (You died.)


    Gu Yi frowned as he closed his eyes.


    Being smashed to death twice in a row left him feeling frustrated.


    Staying here and eventually being taken away by the Deer-headed man was a dead-end. He didn''t dare gamble with his luck.


    "There must be another way!"


    Gu Yi''s eyes brightened as he came up with a new n.


    (Deduction begins.)


    (You were lying in the treatment pod, holding a fruit knife.)


    (You forcefully cut your own neck.)


    (Blood gushed out.)


    (You gritted your teeth, banged on the pod door, and shouted for help.)


    (The nurse heard themotion and rushed over to lift you out of the pod.)


    (Your consciousness became hazy.)


    (You felt like you had cut too deeply.)


    (You were pushed onto an operating table, where doctors performed emergency treatment on you.)


    (Your vision turned ck.)


    (You lost consciousness.)


    (When you woke up again, you were in the ICU.)


    (The room only had one bed, and it was empty. You didn''t know how long you had been in this room.)


    (You''re panicking inside.)


    (You climb off the sickbed and feel your body suddenly be lighter.)


    (You see another person identical to yourself behind you.)


    (You scream loudly, and your pupils dte.)


    (You''re scared to death.)


    (The deduction ends.)


    "Why did this happen?"


    Despairingly, Gu Yi covers his eyes.


    Self-harm can attract nurses to send you to the emergency room, but he was unconscious due to serious injuries and was unknowingly sent to the ICU.


    The ICU has a rule that each ward must amodate two people.


    Because of this, another version of himself split off after he was admitted to the ward alone, and then was frightened to death.


    Gu Yi grits his teeth and rubs his temples.


    <i>He must have missed something!</i>


    Think about it, why didn''t the "being scared to death by his own doppelg?nger" ending trigger when he first entered the dungeon while there was no second bed in the ward?


    "Let''s try again."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and started the deduction again.


    This was hisst chance to make progress!


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You close your eyes and recall every small detail of the first time you entered the dungeon.)


    ("Each ICU must amodate two people.")


    (This information may not necessarily mean that there actually have to be two people living in the ward, as long as it can create the illusion of two people living together, the rule can still be deceived.)


    (At the beginning, although there was no second bed in the ward, there were many other people''s clothes on the floor, perhaps this was the reason he didn''t die.)


    (At the moment, you haven''t gained any more clues, and can only make such a judgment.)


    (When you self-harmed for the first time, you cut too deeply, which caused you to faint before you even got to the operating table.)


    (You take a deep breath and stab yourself in the chest with the knife.)


    (Blood stains your clothes.)


    (You cry out for help.)


    (Nurses rush to save you and take you to the emergency room.)


    (The doctors try to save you, and you remain conscious.)


    (Doctor: Why would you try to kill yourself when you''re perfectly fine? What''s troubling you?)


    (You: Don''t give me anesthesia.)


    (Doctor: How can we operate without anesthesia?)


    (You: I don''t want to fall asleep!)


    (Doctor: Don''t worry about him, give him anesthesia.)


    (You are fitted with a mask.)


    (Your vision goes ck.)


    (You fall asleep.)

 Chapter 10: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (3)

    <h4>Chapter 10: Methods of Escaping the Treatment Room (3)</h4>


    (The surgery is over and you are pushed out of the operating room.)


    (You struggle to wake up.)


    (You feel intense chest pain and your limbs feel weak, making it difficult to move normally.)


    (You are pushed back into the ICU where you stayed before.)


    (You lie down on the bed.)


    (You feel your body getting lighter and struggle to climb out of bed. You see your doppelg?nger slowly forming.)


    (You have no time left.)


    (The anesthesia hasn''t worn off yet, but you struggle to get up and take out the clothes from the second drawer of the bedside table and scatter them on the floor.)


    (Your heart is pounding.)


    (You turn your head.)


    (Your doppelg?nger haspletely formed.)


    (He smiles at you.)


    (Your pupils dte.)


    (You are scared to death.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "Hah!"


    Gu Yi gasps, holding his chest that is rising and falling, his eyebrows furrowed.


    He died like this again, without knowing why!


    At this point, Gu Yi had used up all of his deduction chances and didn''t have the ability to try again.


    <i>What did he miss?</i>


    Gu Yi gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and thought about every detail, trying to find any clues that he may have missed.


    The footsteps of the Deer-headed man passed by the window.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pulled out the knife.


    ¡ª <i>There''s no time to hesitate. Either way, it''s death. Only by leaving the treatment room can there be a chance of survival!</i>


    ...


    In the real world.


    The audience stared at the screen, watching as Gu Yi, like a god, jumped over all the instant-death gs.


    "Isn''t this kid too clever?"


    "I had to watch the rey three times before I noticed the shopkeeper''s subtle movements. How did Gu Yi notice it all in one go?"


    "He''s like a prophet!"


    Gu Yi smoothly transitioned to the afternoon treatment time, and everyone kept their eyes fixed on the screen, not wanting to miss any details.


    At this point, Gu Yi had already entered the treatment pod.


    The Deer-Headed Man took away a female patient, and experts from the Dragon Country debated fiercely.


    "No one has passed the dungeon of the Chongshan Hospital yet, and the highest record is just getting to the treatment room!"


    "Last time, there was an SSS-level adventurer who tried to use brute force to clear the treatment room, but it proved to be ineffective."


    "What is Gu Yi''s ability? Has anyone analyzed it?"


    "It should be a cognitive ability. He can distinguish some details that ordinary people find difficult to detect."


    The experts furrowed their brows.


    ording to their analysis, the Deer-headed People were the most dangerous group in the entire dungeon.


    Once taken away by them, it would be a dead end!


    As a person with no power ability, Gu Yi had no chance of escaping from the treatment pod.


    "I''m afraid... this is Gu Yi''s limit, right?"


    "Wait, what is this kid doing?"


    "Oh my god, he''smitting suicide!"


    Gu Yiy in the treatment pod, stabbing himself in the chest with a fruit knife.


    The barrage was filled with mourning.


    "Ah, this adventurer can''t hold on anymore."


    "We''re going to be invaded by the Weird force again."


    "Rest in peace..."


    "Let''s migrate to the Lighthouse Country. I heard they have developed technology tobat the Weird forces in reality."


    All the Dragon Country experts began to take off their hats and pay their respects.


    Gu Yi was not the first adventurer tomit suicide in the Weird world, nor would he be thest.


    The leader of the strategy team stared at the screen, mmed the table hard, and shouted,


    "You bunch of idiots! Gu Yi hasn''t given up, why are you giving up? He''s putting himself in a desperate situation to live, he''s notmitting suicide!"


    ...


    In Weird World.


    Gu Yi stabbed himself hard in the chest, blood gushing out.


    He groaned and gritted his teeth.


    Although he had experienced this pain once during deduction, experiencing this kind of pain in reality still almost made him faint.


    "Help!"


    Gu Yi pounded on the door of the pod.


    As predicted during his simtion, the nurse quickly ran over and rescued Gu Yi.


    The doctor hurriedly carried Gu Yi into the emergency room.


    This time, because Gu Yi had stabbed himself too hard, he fainted before he could even make it to the emergency room.


    The surgery was sessful.


    When Gu Yi was pushed out of the emergency room, he had already been taken to the door of the ICU.


    Gu Yi''s eyes widened, and he immediately reached out and grabbed the doctor''s arm, "Doctor, wait."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "There''s only me in this ward!"


    "How is that possible? There were two people in this ward before tonight. You must be mistaken."


    "Then... can you let me change to a different ward?" Gu Yi pleaded, "My roommate has some... problems."


    "The hospital has rules. If you want to change wards, you''ll have to wait until after dinner and then go rest in a different room."


    The doctors carried Gu Yi into the ward and threw him on the bed.


    They briefly asked about Gu Yi''s postoperative condition and then left the room.


    After everyone had left, Gu Yi clearly began to feel something was off.


    The temperature in the ward began to drop, and his weight gradually decreased, as if he was about to float away at any moment.


    At this point, the anesthesia hadn''t worn off yet, and Gu Yi stumbled off the bed.


    On the bed, a transparent figure was gradually forming.


    ording to his experience, if he couldn''t solve the puzzle within three minutes, he would be scared to death.


    In the operating room, Gu Yi remained in aa and his mental strength had not recovered at all. It was impossible for him to rely on his deduction talent to get through this difficult situation.


    Now, he could only rely on himself!


    "Calm down, calm down, think about what you missed."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and carefully recalled.


    His talent not only gave Gu Yi the ability to deduce the future but also gave him an amazing memory.


    He could remember every detail of his deductions perfectly.


    On the hospital bed, his doppelg?nger was bing clearer and clearer, with facial features gradually forming.


    Gu Yi suddenly opened his eyes and took out the clothes from the bedside table.


    Heid the clothes on the floor as he did when he first entered the instance, trying to restore even the wrinkles of the clothes.


    The limbs of his doppelg?nger became clearer and Gu Yi could even see his fingers moving.


    "What''s missing?"


    Gu Yi roared in frustration, staggering and kneeling in front of the bed, staring nkly at the corner of the wall.


    <i>There...</i>


    <i>Was there something else?</i>


    <i>Right!</i>


    <i>Wasn''t there still a cardboard box in the room?</i>


    <i>Didn''t he put it in the corner of the wall?</i>


    <i>Where did the cardboard box go now?</i>


    In a sh of insight, Gu Yi suddenly understood where the problemy!


    "Yes, it''s the cardboard box! It must be the cardboard box!"


    Gu Yi struggled to stand up from the ground and searched every corner of the hospital room.


    However, at this moment;


    The legs of Gu Yi''s doppelg?nger finally formed!


    The doppelg?nger slowly opened his eyes, sat up on the bed, and a sinister smile appeared on his face!

 Chapter 11: The Second Person in the ICU

    <h4>Chapter 11: The Second Person in the ICU</h4>


    "It''s here!"


    Gu Yi found a trash can under the bed and pulled it out. He found a folded cardboard box inside.


    He quickly unfolded it and spread the cardboard box on the ground.


    He heard footsteps behind him.


    Gu Yi''s heart was pounding, his throat was tight, and his palms were sweaty.


    <i>-- Could the answer of the cardboard box be wrong too?</i>


    Gu Yi slowly turned his head, but there was nothing behind him.


    He shuddered and sat on the ground, his back already soaked with cold sweat.


    "I did it..."


    Gu Yi shook his head andy on the ground, gasping for breath.


    At this moment, he heard the notification sound of the Weird World in his ear.


    [You have solved the crisis with your own intelligence and strength, and your mental power has been exercised.]


    [Your mental power recovery speed has increased.]


    [You can terminate the deduction at any time now.]


    Gu Yi smiled bitterly. He covered his chest and climbed back onto the hospital bed.


    The cleaning staff might have thrown the cardboard box into the trash can without his knowledge. If he hadn''t discovered this blind spot, he might have died.


    Gu Yi''s whole body was soaked with cold sweat, but instead of feeling scared, he felt an indescribable pleasure.


    He pped his face to calm himself down and analyzed the situation just now.


    He should have realized earlier that the clothes were not the key.


    When he first entered the instance, he had hidden his clothes, but it didn''t trigger the "scared to death by doppelg?nger" ending. This already proved that the key to solving the problem was the cardboard box.


    "So why the cardboard box?"


    Gu Yi frowned and looked at the cardboard box.


    In order not to vite the rule of "keeping the ward clean," Gu Yi finished tidying up his clothes and put the cardboard box against the wall.


    Gu Yi took out the first note and read the rules over and over again.


    [There are always two people in the ICU, please keep this in mind.]


    Therefore, ording to this logic - <i>is this cardboard box actually a person?</i>


    And this cardboard box must be taken out and ced on the ground, it cannot be ced under the bed or in the trash can, otherwise, it cannot be recognized as a "person".


    Gu Yi couldn''t think of a second exnation.


    After excluding all possibilities, the remaining answer, no matter how unbelievable, can only be the truth.


    The cardboard box must have a special meaning in this world, so it is also considered a resident of the ward.


    The ward was locked from the outside, and the knife that Gu Yi always carried for self-defense was also confiscated. Gu Yi could only lie in the ward and rest, restoring his mental strength.


    As hey by the window, looking out.


    There was no one in the square in front of the hospital, only the security personnel patrolling the square.


    The owner of the store was ying solitaire with himself, leisurely and carefree.


    Outside the hospital''s high walls, there was a barrennd, and a straight road not visible to the end extended northward.


    <i>-Even if he could sessfully climb over the wall, it would not be easy to survive on this barrennd.</i>


    "Woof woof woof--"


    The barking sound echoed again in the square.


    Gu Yi stuck his head out and leaned against the fence, searching for the source of the barking.


    He saw a bus stop at the hospital gate, and the sound obviously came from the bus.


    "So many people keep dogs in this world?"


    Gu Yi wondered, as he patiently observed.


    After a while, several "Deer-headed" people led their newly selected patients onto the bus.


    Another round of barking erupted, apparently the dogs on the bus were weing their owners back.


    The bus drove away.


    At this moment, the broadcast sounded again.


    "Today''s treatment time is over. Please help the patients to leave the treatment pods and send them back to their respective rooms. It''s dinner time now. Patients, please do not run around, and don''t forget to take your medication on time."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi sighed.


    He had passed this treatment time, but what would he do if he was sent back to the treatment room after his injury had healed?


    There was no time to waste.


    He muste up with a n to escape from the ward!


    Gu Yi sat on the bed and pondered for a while. Finally, the door of the ward was opened, and the nurse urged him to leave for the cafeteria.


    Gu Yi nodded, picked up his 3D sses, and hid them in his pocket.


    He was lucky at dinner time today, and no patients suddenly fell ill.


    But the night is long and full of terrors. Gu Yi finished his dinner quickly and was the first to leave the cafeteria. He casually stole a fork and put it in his pocket.


    Sitting on a bench outside the cafeteria, Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You decide to steal the keys from the nurse station to prepare for tonight''s escape.)


    (You walk to the nurse station.)


    (The nurse immediately berates you loudly and even inspects your belongings after seeing you.)


    (Your self-harm behavior in the treatment room has made the medical staff even more vignt.)


    (Nurse: It''s dinner time now, why don''t you go to the cafeteria?)


    (You: I''ve already eaten.)


    (Nurse: Then go sit outside the cafeteria and rest, or go to the security office to rest.)


    (The nurse''s attitude is hostile, and you no longer argue with her.)


    (You avoid the nurse''s gaze ande to the hospital map.)


    (The locations of the [Archive Room] are not marked on the maps of the first three floors, so you guess that the [Archive Room] should be in the basement like the Crematorium.)


    (Entering the basement requires an elevator. Without a medical staff''s ess card, you will not be able to explore the basement.)


    (You feel that you need a doctor''s mask.)


    (As long as you have a bird beak mask, you will be able to move around the hospital freely.)


    (You think for a while and decide to steal a doctor''s mask first.)


    (To avoid surveince, you choose to sneak into the locker room through the venttion duct in the toilet.)


    (You use a fork in your hand to pry open the grille of the pipe.)


    (You sessfully make it to the locker room.)


    (You hide behind a locker and silently wait for an opportunity.)


    (You see Dr. Gui again, who is changing out of his work clothes. It must be time for him to get off work.)


    (You took the opportunity to run out while Dr. Gui was in the shower.)


    (The lock on the locker is old and broken, so you easily destroyed it with a fork.)


    (You quickly took out the mask and ess card.)


    (Dr. Gui: What''s going on?)


    (Your actions were too loud, causing Dr. Gui to run out of the shower room.)


    (You quickly hid in the locker again.)


    (Dr. Gui came to his locker and found that his mask was stolen.)


    (He nervously yelled and randomly put on a piece of clothing before rushing out of the locker room to search for the mask.)


    (You waited for a while before finally running out.)


    (You turned around and found that Dr. Gui was standing behind you.)


    (Dr. Gui: Why are you in the locker room?)

 Chapter 12: Stealing the Mask

    <h4>Chapter 12: Stealing the Mask</h4>


    (You hold Dr. Gui''s mask and ess card in your hand, unable to exin yourself.)


    (Dr. Gui grabs your head and ms it hard against the wall of the locker room.)


    (Your head is smashed into the wall.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You died.)


    "Damn it..."


    Gu Yi was so scared that he leaned back and hit the wall behind him.


    Dying so many times, but it was the first time he died by hitting the wall.


    <i>This Dr. Gui looks gentle and cultured, but why is he so much more ruthless than those nurses when he gets violent?</i>


    "Let''s try again, but be more careful this time."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You sit on a bench and reflect on your mistakes.)


    (You decide to change your approach to theft.)


    (You have already bypassed the surveince cameras and pedestrians many times, so your actions are very skilled.)


    (Just likest time, you quietly wait behind the locker, waiting for an opportunity.)


    (Dr. Gui goes to the shower room to take a shower as usual.)


    (You carefully pry open Dr. Gui''s locker and take out the mask and ess card.)


    (You know that Dr. Gui will definitelye out to look for you after discovering the loss, so you decide to find a ce to hide the stolen items.)


    (You take off your clothes and wrap the items up.)


    (You walk to the corner of the locker room, lift the drain cover, and hide the items in the sewer pipe.)


    (You take the opportunity to escape the locker room.)


    (You hide in a blind spot and observe Dr. Gui.)


    (He goes in and out of the locker room door, looking more and more panicked.)


    (After a while, the security personnel with teleportation abilities arrived next to Dr. Gui.)


    (Security: Where is your mask?)


    (Dr. Gui: Um... I''m looking for it.)


    (Security: You have three minutes left.)


    (Dr. Gui covering his cheeks.)


    (Dr. Gui: I can''t find it. My locker was broken into, and someone stole my things!)


    (Security: We checked the surveince footage, and no one entered the locker room during this time. Don''t be cunning,e with us.)


    (Dr. Gui: You can''t treat me like this.)


    (Security: ording to the rules, whether you lost it or it was stolen, you must ept punishment. Come with us!)


    (Dr. Gui: No, no!)


    (Dr. Gui''s screams echoed in the hallway.)


    (You waited outside the locker room for a while, and after confirming that there was no one around, you went in and took out the mask and ess card.)


    (You put on the doctor''s work clothes, put on the mask, and hid in the toilet.)


    (You found the mask usage manual in the pocket of the doctor''s shirt.)


    ([Mask Usage Manual])


    (1. Please keep your mask properly. If the mask is lost for more than ten minutes, security will send you to Room 0.)


    (2. The paint on the mask is water-soluble and will lose its luster within three days after getting wet. If your mask peels off, please look for the staff wearing the elephant mask to help you repaint it.)


    (3. Each person can only apply for a mask once, and it cannot be reported lost or reissued.)


    (4. The mask is your identity, please do not vite your doctor''s duties.)


    (After reading the instructions on using the mask, you finally understand why Dr. Gui was so nervous after losing his mask.)


    (Losing the mask is like losing your life.)


    (Another thing to note is that if you wear the mask in front of others, you are likely to be exposed.)


    (Here, the doctors may have the ability to recognize people through their masks. Last time you borrowed Dr. Gui''s mask to save a patient, the emergency doctor directly called out "Dr. Gui''s" name.)


    (You can only use the mask to fool people who are not familiar with Dr. Gui.)


    (And, you just hid the mask in the sewer, and it has already gotten wet. In three days, the paint on the mask will start to peel.)


    (But even so, the mask''s functionality is still very powerful.)


    (After putting on the mask, you can use the doctor''s perspective to observe the world and obtain more clues.)


    (You put on the mask and walked out of the toilet.)


    (You decided to test the mask''s abilities.)


    (No one questioned or stopped you.)


    (You gained great freedom.)


    (You walked confidently to theputer.)


    (You remembered the patient number of the female patient who was taken away by the Deer-headed man in the afternoon.)


    (You entered the number on theputer.)


    (The system prompts that your permission is insufficient to ess the information.)


    (You nodded, finally finding themonality between you and the female patient.)


    (You chatted with the nurse next to you.)


    (You: Why can''t we ess this patient''s medical record?)


    (Nurse: I don''t know, go ask the archives.)


    (You: Okay.)


    (Wearing a mask, you enter the elevator.)


    (Using your ess card, you arrive at the basement level.)


    (As soon as the elevator door opens, the security personnel appears in front of you instantly.)


    (They stare at you intently.)


    (Security: Dr. Gui? Aren''t you supposed to be in Room 0? How did you escape?)


    (You: You''ve got the wrong person.)


    (The security personnel rush forward and press you down to the ground.)


    (They remove your mask and discover that you are an impostor.)


    (Security: You dare to steal? Go reflect in Room 0!)


    (You are taken to Room 0 by security.)


    (You are bitten to death by a giant spider monster.)


    (Deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and thought carefully.


    Encountering security personnel after exiting the elevator was not a coincidence; they must have tracked him down through some means.


    The masks were registered with real names, and the ess card was probably the same.


    It must have been using Dr. Gui''s ess card that led the security personnel to him.


    Gu Yi decided not to continue the deduction. Since he had found a way to safely obtain the mask, his purpose in the deduction had been achieved.


    He wasn''t in a rush to go to the basement yet; he needed to make use of the mask first and find a way to move and explore freely at night.


    Gu Yi got up and left, heading straight to the toilet.


    ...


    In the real world.


    When Gu Yi sessfully used the ruse to trick the doctor and nurse and sessfully escaped from the treatment room, the audience immediately erupted.


    "Wow, Yi is amazing!"


    "Those who want to immigrate to Lighthouse Country, go ahead; I still want to live in Dragon Country where there are no Weird powers."


    "Don''t celebrate too early, guys. The death rate of this dungeon so far is almost 100%! And up to now, there are no crucial clues found by Gu Yi yet."


    The Dragon Country''s strategy team watched Gu Yi''s gamey video repeatedly, summarizing the strategies to clear the dungeon.


    "This kid Gu Yi is far more intelligent and brave than we imagined."


    "The move of stabbing himself to attract attention was so brilliant."


    "But what should he do next? The first time he used the feigned illness trick to avoid treatment, but what about the second time? He still needs to go back to the treatment room after he recovers."


    "That''s right. You can see that the hospital''s security measures have be even stricter now. They search every patient going in and out of the ward, and they don''t even allow fruit knives in the ward."


    The real-world audience could see more details, and they also noticed that the hospital''s management of patients had be even stricter.


    Gu Yi''s feigned illness trick could only be used once.


    <i>But what to do next?</i>


    No one knew.

 Chapter 13: Night Stroll (1)

    <h4>Chapter 13: Night Stroll (1)</h4>


    In the Weird World.


    In order to prevent his mask from getting wet in the sewer, Gu Yi found a stic bag from a clean trash can in advance and then ambushed Dr. Gui in the locker room.


    Gu Yi had already stolen the mask several times during his deductions, and he was like a habitual offender who sessfully obtained Dr. Gui''s mask and once again witnessed Dr. Gui''s tragic end of being taken away by the security department.


    "Tsk tsk..."


    Gu Yi watched Dr. Gui leave, took back the mask, and hid it in the toilet.


    From various doctors, Gu Yi knew that Dr. Gui was a solitary person.


    This was also one of the reasons why Gu Yi had no scruples when stealing the mask.


    Most people wouldn''t talk to Dr. Gui, even if he was taken to Room 0, no one would notice.


    Gu Yi hid in the toilet and used his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You put on the mask and left the toilet.)


    (No one came forward to question you when they saw you, and you felt an unprecedented sense of freedom.)


    (You went to the nurse station and stole the key to the ward.)


    (You hid the key in your pocket.)


    (As people came and went at the nurse station, some people started to notice you.)


    (You were worried about exposure and quickly hid in the toilet, putting the mask and clothes in a garbage bag and hiding them in the venttion duct.)


    (At 7:00 p.m., all the patients went to the treatment room.)


    (You were injured and the doctor allowed you to rest for a week.)


    (When you entered the ICU, the nurse searched you.)


    (She found that you were hiding a fork and the key to the ward.)


    (The nurse called the security department.)


    (You paused the deduction.)


    As soon as Gu Yi saw the security department, he immediately stopped the deduction.


    After his mental strength had been enhanced, he could terminate the deduction at any time, which could reduce the psychological impact of some death scenes on himself.


    "It seems that this won''t work, let''s try another method."


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You stole the key ording to the previous deduction method.)


    (At 7:00 p.m., you swallowed the key and threw the fork in the trash can.)


    (A nurse searches you thoroughly.)


    (Nurse: You better not hide any prohibited items on you again in the future. What''s worth being so desperate for?)


    (You: I''m sorry, I was foolish.)


    (Nurse: Here''s your medication for tonight, take it quickly.)


    (You swallow the pill in front of the nurse.)


    (Nurse: You''ll be staying in a new ward tonight, I''ll take you there.)


    (The nurse leads you to the ward and you find your roommate is Xu Nian.)


    (Xu Nian is still unconscious.)


    (You sit by the bed and spit out the key and pill.)


    (After waiting for a while, you try to unlock the door but find that the key won''t fit.)


    (You took the wrong key.)


    (You stop your deduction.)


    "Thank goodness I deduced in advance, otherwise I would have forgotten about this detail."


    Gu Yi patted his forehead and remembered that the doctor had said early in the morning that he would be moved to a new ward. However, when he stole the key, he took the key to the old ward.


    Also, because he had attempted suicide once before, the nurse suddenly increased the intensity of the inspection.


    The mask and the 3D sses are both sensitive items that the nurse would definitely confiscate, so Gu Yi had to hide them all in the venttion duct.


    Gu Yi sessfully retrieved the key ording to the method deduced.


    It''s 7:00 pm.


    Gu Yi obediently moved into the new ward, and as soon as the nurse left, he immediately spitted out the pill and key.


    <i>arggghhh...</i>


    Gu Yi held the basin and vomited out everything, even his dinner.


    He rummaged through his vomit and finally found the key.


    This time, he didn''t make a mistake.


    Gu Yi looked at his roommate, who was still sleeping with his eyes closed and won''t respond no matter how much he teased him.


    "Let''s rest for a while."


    Gu Yi went to bed to take a rest, but instead of lying down, he leaned against the wall to rest his mind. He nned to rest for a while and then use his talent to explore outside after midnight.


    The clock strikes twelve.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    Xu Nian still slept soundly, and outside the hospital, it was pitch ck with only a few guards from the security department standing guard at the entrance.


    Now was the most exhausting time for everyone, so it was the perfect time for him to explore.


    "Begin Deduction."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You climbed out of bed.)


    (You sessfully used the key to open the door.)


    (You carefully pushed open the door and the nurse on duty was dozing off, not noticing your small movements.)


    (You sneaked out and went straight to the toilet.)


    (You took out the hidden mask and clothes and put them on.)


    (With the cover of the mask, you strolled around the hospital, and no one paid any attention to you.)


    (You walked into the fire escape and headed to the basement.)


    (The basement door was locked, and you didn''t dare use the ess card to open it.)


    (You had to find another way in.)


    (You sat at the stairwell for a while, and it seemed that Room 0 was on the basement level.)


    (By going to Room 0 might be the only way to get to the basement level without using an ess card.)


    (Unable to go to the basement level, you decided to go upstairs.)


    (The first floor was the inpatient area, the second floor was the treatment room, and you had never been to the third floor.)


    (The door to the third floor was not locked, so you just pushed it open.)


    (From east to west on the third floor, there were several offices.)


    (Administration office, finance office, security department, specimen room, conference room, and Dean''s office.)


    (You crouched at the entrance of the administration office and looked inside for a while. The lights were on, and there were several elephant masks inside, but no one was present.)


    (You arrived at the door of the security department.)


    (The security department was pitch ck and you couldn''t see anything.)


    (You arrived at the door of the specimen room, where there were many cabs and it was pitch ck inside, making it difficult to see what specimens were inside.)


    (You tried turning the doorknob and found that the specimen room was the only room that could be opened.)


    (You entered the specimen room, and the moonlight from outside illuminated the room well enough that you didn''t need to turn on the lights.)


    (The room was filled with specimens of various animals, but without exception, these animals were several timesrger than their real-life counterparts.)


    (You noticed a frog specimen in the middle of the room.)


    (The frog was about the size of a palm, and there were some characters below it.)


    ([Frogs are the natural enemies of ****].)


    (There was a string of garbled characters in the middle, and you were ready to take off your mask to observe more closely.)


    (At this moment, you suddenly heard a strange noise.)


    (You turned around and saw a tall monster appear in front of you.)


    (Each time you closed your eyes, the monster came closer to you.)


    (The monster roared.)


    (Your mask cracked as a result.)


    (You quickly ran into the fire escape.)


    (You found the monster blocking your way in front of you.)


    (The monster reached out its hands towards your neck.)


    (Your vision went dark.)


    (The monster snapped your neck.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)

 Chapter 14: Night Stroll (2)

    <h4>Chapter 14: Night Stroll (2)</h4>


    "Hiss..."


    Gu Yi took a sharp breath and stared at the ceiling.


    The monster''s speed was too fast. Gu Yi couldn''t even end the simtion early.


    On the third floor, there was a humanoid monster with a ck body and heart-shaped eyes.


    There must be some important secret hidden there. The monster was probably there to guard the door, and he would not hesitate to strangle anyone who illegally trespassed.


    "Is there still a hidden clue on the third floor that I haven''t found?"


    Gu Yi squinted his eyes and thought for a while, deciding to try exploring the third floor again.


    (Deduction Begins!)


    (You sit on the bed and think carefully.)


    (You think that you were probably strangled by the monster because you vited the rules.)


    (You return to the entrance of the third floor.)


    (You search the hallway, but find no notes or any traces of people or monsters.)


    (You specte that the monster will suddenly appear when you open any door.)


    (You have five more deduction attempts left, and you decide to use trial and error to summarize the monster''s weaknesses and behavior patterns.)


    (You open the door to the specimen room.)


    (You walk into the specimen room.)


    (You lean against the wall and look towards the entrance.)


    (The monster appears.)


    (His way of moving is like a penguin, swaying from side to side, but he is extremely fast.)


    (You find that it is difficult to see the monster''s movements when you open your eyes, and you have to blink rapidly to catch glimpses of his figure.)


    (The monster walks into the specimen room and deliberately avoids the specimen cabs.)


    (You use the specimen cabs to maneuver around the monster.)


    (The heart-shaped eyes of the monster turn into two ck crosses, and he disappears into the darkness.)


    (You can no longer observe the monster.)


    (You feel a tightness in your throat.)


    (You have been strangled by the monster.)


    (Your vision turns ck.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and touched his neck.


    It was another instant kill.


    His physical strength in this dungeon was really weak. If it were an adventurer with stamina or strength talent, they could probably go head-to-head with the monster.


    "At least I canst for a minute this time. Let''s try again."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take out a piece of paper and write down all the information about the monster.)


    (1. The monster has the ability to turn invisible. You have to blink quickly to see its silhouette. If the monster''s eyes turn into ck crosses, it will bepletely invisible.)


    (2. The monster''s movement speed is slightly faster than yours, and its strength far surpasses yours. It''s not realistic to escape or confront it head-on.)


    (3. The monster doesn''t want to damage anything in the specimen room, so you can use this to your advantage.)


    (4. The monster has a physical body and can only harm others through physical contact.)


    (5. It has been confirmed that it only appears when you enter the specimen room and won''t appear otherwise.)


    (After thinking for a moment...)


    (You use the previous method to escape the ward, and you arrive at theundry room on the corner of the first floor. You find some bed sheets and tear them into long strips.)


    (You go to the cleaning room and steal the floor wax.)


    (You go to the third floor.)


    (You spread the floor wax all over the ground and make tripwires out of the long cloth strips in the hallway.)


    (You open the specimen room.)


    (The monster quickly appears in front of you.)


    (You quickly run away.)


    (The monster chases after you and gets tripped by the ropes.)


    (You continue running downstairs.)


    (The monster is tripped by the slippery floor, and you continue to run frantically.)


    (You arrive at the first floor.)


    (You take out your ess card and swipe it for the elevator to the basement.)


    (Guards from the security department immediately appear in front of you.)


    (Security: Why do you have Dr. Gui''s ess card?)


    (You don''t say anything, blinking constantly. You notice that the monster has already arrived behind the two of you.)


    (The security guard turns his head and meets the monster''s gaze.)


    (Security: Why are you here? Go back to your specimen room!)


    (The monster and the security guard start to fight.)


    (You turn around and walk into the basement.)


    (You feel a chill all over your body as if there are countless eyes staring at you in the darkness.)


    (You hear the low growl of an animal.)


    (A monster covered in ck hair rushes out from the shadows, barking like a dog.)


    (You dodge out of the way.)


    (The door is blocked by the security and the monster, and you can''t retreat.)


    (You can only continue to move forward.)


    (The number of ck hairy monsters around you was increasing.)


    (You feel that these monsters are all patients who have transformed. Their physical qualities are simr to yours, but their numbers are too many.)


    (Soon, you are caught by a group of ck hairy monsters.)


    (Your body is covered with ck hair.)


    (You feel your consciousness gradually drifting away.)


    (You stop deducing.)


    "Phew..."


    Gu Yi leaned back on his pillow and let out a long sigh.


    The stronger the defense system of the specimen room, the more curious Gu Yi became.


    The first time he entered the basement, he didn''t have time to explore before being surrounded and assimted by the monsters.


    In that kind of environment, he would definitely turn into a monster and die.


    "Are the barking sounds during the day alsoing from the basement?"


    "Probably not, it''s clearlying from a closer location."


    "Last time I deduced, I went to the crematorium area, and it seems that there are no monsters in the basement during the day, only at night."


    "The exploration of the basement should be done during the day."


    Gu Yi rubbed his temples, wrote down his spection and the known information about the monster on a piece of paper, and read it over twice before starting to deduce again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You are certain that there must be important clues in the specimen room.)


    (The hospital''s defense at night is so weak that you can wander around wearing a bird mask without anyone questioning you. There is no one on duty in the security office, but there is a monster guarding the specimen room.)


    (You think it''s not a good idea to use the security department to drive away the monster.)


    (Whichever side survives in this confrontation will eventually turn around ande after you.)


    (You feel like you''re backed into a corner.)


    (You realize that you have no way to bypass the monster in the specimen room.)


    (Maybe you should give up investigating the specimen room?)


    (You feel very unwilling.)


    (You have found a breakthrough, but you can''t find a way to break through.)


    (You hold the piece of paper in your hand and think carefully.)


    (You are sure there is no more information to be gleaned about the monster.)


    (You silently recall thest deduction.)


    (You feel like you''ve caught onto something crucial.)


    (The person from the security department expressed surprise and astonishment when he saw the monster for the first time.)


    (And he also said, "Go back to your specimen room.")


    (This sentence reminded you.)


    (You think you overlooked something - <i>where did the monstere from?</i>)

 Chapter 15: Night Stroll (3)

    <h4>Chapter 15: Night Stroll (3)</h4>


    (Each time, you thought the monster was hiding in a corner outside the hallway, but the security personnel said the monster was in the specimen room.)


    (The monster was quiet in the specimen room until you opened the door.)


    (Your opening the door activated the monster.)


    (Can you use another method to enter the specimen room without opening the door?)


    (You think you have figured out the correct method to enter the specimen room.)


    (You return to the third floor.)


    (Youe to the toilet on the third floor and pry open the venttion grille on the ceiling.)


    (You enter the specimen room through the venttion duct.)


    (You wait quietly for a while and find that the monster does note out to attack you.)


    (You find the light switch.)


    (The specimen room is as bright as day.)


    (In the corner of the specimen room, you see a monster curled up, holding its knees, squatting on the ground.)


    (Its left eye is heart-shaped, and its right eye is a ck X.)


    (You find a card in front of the monster.)


    ([Moonlight Giant: After exposure to moonlight, it will have amazing power and great hostility towards humans.])


    (It turns out that this monster only bes an active creature and attacks humans after being exposed to moonlight.)


    (You feel shocked.)


    (Because the monster is actually one of the specimens.)


    (You continue to explore the specimen room and find that all the specimens have some inexplicable exnations.)


    (You are very curious why this hospital staff is studying the habits of these monsters instead of studying medicine.)


    (You are even more certain that this world is not based on the real world, but is another parallel universe full of monsters.)


    (You can''t understand everything in the dungeon with the worldview of the real world.)


    (Perhaps in the real world, these specimens are all monsters, but in the dungeon, they aremon creatures.)


    (Instead, oneself and the other patients are rare animals.)


    (You continue to make bold spections.)


    (This hospital is not a hospital, but a research institute, and everything they do is for studying beings like humans.)


    (''Treating illnesses'' is just an excuse to gain the trust of humans.)


    (The Deer-headed man buying humans from the hospital may also have some special intention. Humans may have high economic value to the local natives, so the hospital engages in the business of buying and selling humans.)


    (So far, this is the most logical exnation you cane up with.)


    (You breathe a sigh of relief.)


    (Up to this point, you have put in a lot of effort and paid a high price for all the information you have obtained. If it were not for you to have SSS-level talent, it would be impossible to reach this level.)


    (Obviously, the difficulty of the Weird World''s dungeon has risen to almost a certain death level.)


    (Even if you can deduce endlessly, it is still full of dangers.)


    (You continue to search in the specimen room.)


    (You focus on the toad in the center of the room.)


    (Thebel in front of the toad is still gibberish.)


    (You take off your mask and finally, see the handwriting on it.)


    ( [The toad is the natural enemy of the spider] )


    (As a doctor, you can''t see thebels, but as a patient, you can.)


    (You think this is a very obvious clue aimed at patients.)


    (In the entire hospital, you only saw one spider - the human-eating spider in Room 0.)


    (Could using the toad be a way to deal with the spider?)


    (You try to move the toad specimen, but find it immovable.)


    (You give up on taking the specimen.)


    (You suddenly remember that the small shop on the square sells live toads.)


    (Could that live toad be prepared for Room 0?)


    (You have a direction to move forward.)


    (You decide to stop exploring the specimen room and crawl back into the venttion duct to explore the two adjacent rooms.)


    (You first go to the dean''s office.)


    (The dean''s office is full of dust, with only one set of desks and chairs and a bookshelf full of books.)


    (The bookshelf is filled with professional books that are difficult to understand.)


    (You crawl into the security office next door.)


    (Inside, there is only a locker and a rudimentary desk, and each locker contains a dog mask.)


    (You finally arrive at the administration office.)


    (You try to pick up the elephant mask on the table but find that it is incredibly heavy and you can''t use it.)


    (You feel like you have gathered enough information on the third floor.)


    (You end the deduction.)


    Gu Yiy in bed and exhaled a long breath.


    Finally, he didn''t waste his time tonight and got some useful clues.


    Hey on the bed, closed his eyes, and finally fell asleep.


    ...


    The next day.


    Gu Yi went through the doctor''s rounds, just like on the first day.


    There was no change in the ward, but Gu Yi had already wandered throughout the hospital during his deduction yesterday. The only ce he didn''t go was the basement.


    If there is any important information to share, it''s best to do so; otherwise, it¡¯s better to keep the conversation concise.


    After quietly finishing breakfast, Gu Yi joined the other patients for free activities on the square.


    Gu Yi didn''t waste any time and went straight to the small shop when he reached the square.


    The shop owner, upon seeing Gu Yi, immediately pulled out a fire axe from under the table and mmed it down with a loud bang.


    "Calm down, I''m not here to fight."


    Gu Yi stepped back in fright, almost using his talent.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill anyone for no reason," the shop owner said, "I just want to tell you I won''t ept your bet anymore."


    Gu Yi sneered. He had wanted to gamble with the shopkeeper and get a live toad for free.


    "Okay, I''m not here to gamble with you either. I want to purchase something from you."


    "Speak up, what do you want?"


    "Living toad."


    The shopkeeper''s eyes sparkled with a strange light. "What do you want to do with it?"


    "It''s none of your business."


    "Do you have the money?"


    "Is this enough?"


    "Not enough."


    "What should I do then?"


    "I can give you a task, but it''s very dangerous. Are you willing to do it?"


    "What task?"


    The shopkeeper turned and walked into the house, bringing out a three or four-year-old little girl. The little girl was not wearing any mask and had an innocent and naive expression.


    "This is the daughter of the Dean. Your task is to y with her until the end of free activities time."


    "Just taking care of a child..."


    "Taking care of a child is not a simple thing either."


    The shop owner took out a work manual and handed it to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi took a look at it and saw another set of rules that made his head ache.


    <i>[Nanny Handbook]</i>


    <i>1. Don''t y hide-and-seek with the little girl.</i>


    <i>2. Do not refuse any requests from the little girl.</i>


    <i>3. Do not let the little girl leave the backyard.</i>


    There was a string of bloody words on the back of the note.


    <i>"She''s a devil!"</i>


    <i>"She''s very cute, like a little angel, isn''t she?"</i>

 Chapter 16: Angel? Devil? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 16: Angel? Devil? (1)</h4>


    <i>I can''t y hide-and-seek with the little girl.</i>


    <i>At the same time, I can''t refuse any request from the little girl?</i>


    <i>What if the little girl asks me to y hide-and-seek with her?</i>


    After seeing the nanny handbook, Gu Yi immediately realized the trap in it.


    <i>It was obvious.</i>


    What he needs to do in this mission is to try his best not to let the little girl feel bored and not to let her ask to y hide-and-seek.


    The bloody words on the back of the paper can no longer provide any information.


    Gu Yi found that the bloody words found on the square in front of the hospital were all in this strange style, and it was impossible to believe.


    Seeing Gu Yi falling into silence, the shop owner spoke up, "So, will you ept this mission or not?"


    Isn''t this point like an opportunity for him to save his progress?


    Gu Yi didn''t answer but closed his eyes and began to deduce.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You ept the shop owner''s task.)


    (The shop owner sneers and hands the little girl in his arms to you.)


    (The shop owner points to the backyard of the shop and asks you to apany the little girl to y there.)


    (You carry the little girl to the backyard.)


    (The little girl points to the doll on the ground.)


    (Little girl: Brother, y dolls with me.)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You think ying dolls won''t be a problem.)


    (You y house with the little girl holding the doll.)


    (The little girl suddenly tilts her head and points to a tree, saying: Brother, I want you to get me the bird''s nest on that tree.)


    (You don''t refuse and climb up immediately.)


    (The little girl ys happily with the bird''s nest in her arms.)


    (The shop owner brings out a te of stir-fried pork liver and ces it in front of the little girl.)


    (The little girl loves pork liver and finished it in just a few bites.)


    (Little girl: Not enough to eat.)


    (You: I''ll call the shop owner to make another te.)


    (Little girl: No, I want to eat yours.)


    (You: What?)


    (Little girl: I want to eat your liver.)


    (You shudder and sweat drip from your forehead.)


    (Little girl: I want to eat your liver!)


    (Dark shadows appear on the little girl''s head, and her white teeth turn into crimson fangs.)


    (Little girl: I want to eat your liver!)


    (You: Impossible.)


    (The little girl reaches into your stomach with her hand.)


    (You see a blood-red scene before your eyes.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi returned to reality, a cold sweat dripping from his forehead.


    Just because she ate a te of stir-fried pork liver, she wanted to eat human liver?


    <i>Who could bear it?</i>


    Gu Yi still didn''t immediately agree to the shop owner''s request but continued the deduction.


    He had to find a perfect way toplete the task before he could ept the shop owner''s request.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You don''t immediately agree to the shop owner''s request.)


    (You go to the kitchen and throw all the pork liver prepared by the shop owner into the trash can.)


    (The shop owner is furious.)


    (You take out the remaining two hundred yuan and ask the shop owner to buy other food, preferably vegetables.)


    (The shop owner is puzzled but still did as you asked.)


    (You breathe a sigh of relief, as long as you gave enough money, the shop owner can satisfy some of your small requests.)


    (You officially ept the shop owner''s task.)


    (You walk with the little girl to the backyard.)


    (You continue to y with dolls with the little girl.)


    (The little girl gets tired of ying with dolls and points to a big tree, asking you to find a bird''s nest for her.)


    (You fulfill the little girl''s request.)


    (The owner of the shop fries a te of vegetables and ces it in front of the little girl.)


    (The little girl takes a few bites but doesn¡¯t want to eat anymore.)


    (Little girl: It''s not tasty, throw it away!)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You pour the vegetables into the garbage can.)


    (The shop owner scolds you: The little girl only likes to eat offal, she won''t eat vegetables.)


    (You ignore the owner.)


    (You turn back and continue to y with the little girl.)


    (Little girl: I want to ride a big horse,e over here and be my horse.)


    (You lie down on the ground and carry the little girl on your back for a walk.)


    (The little girl jumps off your back and picks up a stick, saying to you: You''re a bad horse, I''m going to hit you.)


    (You: Go ahead and hit me.)


    (The little girl hit your face hard with the stick.)


    (Your face is covered in blood and you almost faint from the pain.)


    (A smell of barbecuee from outside the wall.)


    (Little girl: I want to eatmb kidneys.)


    (You break out in a cold sweat.)


    (You can''t climb over the wall to buy the offal for the little girl, and you don''t understand why there was someone selling offal in this remote area.)


    (You: Sister, we can''t leave the hospital. How about you change your request?)


    (You try to negotiate with the little girl.)


    (Little girl: No way! I want to eatmb kidneys!)


    (ck lines start appearing on the little girl''s head, revealing her crimson teeth.)


    (You know that if you don''t satisfy this little girl before she says her request three times in a row, you will die.)


    (You: Don''t get upset. I''m not saying I won''t satisfy you, but can we change it? Can you not eatmb kidneys anymore? It''s not good for you and can cause e on your face.)


    (The little girl touches her cheek and reverts back to her human form.)


    (Little girl: Eatingmb kidneys causes e?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Little girl: Then I won''t eatmb kidneys.)


    (You breathe a sigh of relief.)


    (Little girl: I want to eat your kidneys.)


    (You: What?)


    (Little girl: I want to eat your kidneys!)


    (You: Hold on, let''s talk about it. I''m not refusing you, I just want to discuss it with you...)


    (Little girl: Give me your kidneys!)


    (The little girl transforms into a monster.)


    (You end the deduction.)


    Gu Yi''s eyebrows furrowed and his body trembled uncontrobly.


    In thest deduction, the little girl''s form became evenrger and her teeth became jagged like a shark.


    Although both deductions ultimately failed, Gu Yi also concluded a few rules.


    1. After the little girl makes a request, she will repeat it three times. If you don''t agree by the third time, she will force you to "agree".


    2. The little girl is not unconvincing. As long as you provide enough reasons, you can change her mind.


    3. The little girl is really greedy. You must find a way to stop her from wanting to eat offal, otherwise, she will eat your internal organs if she doesn''t get enough to eat.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes tightly and entered the third deduction.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You, likest time, go to the kitchen and put away all the internal organs, and ask the shop owner to wait at the door. If someone sells barbecue, buy as manymb kidneys as possible.)


    (The shop owner agrees.)


    (You ept the task and take the little girl to y in the backyard.)


    (Just likest time, the little girl points to the treetop.)


    (Before the little girl could speak, you climb up the tree and take down the bird''s nest.)


    (You: You want to y with the bird''s nest, right?)


    (The little girl sniffs and points outside the wall.)


    (Before she could speak again, the shop owneres over with a string ofmb kidneys.)


    (You take themb kidneys and hand them to the little girl: You want to eatmb kidneys, right?)

 Chapter 17: Angel? Devil? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 17: Angel? Devil? (2)</h4>


    (Little girl: How did you know?)


    (You: Never mind that, just eat if you want to.)


    (Little girl: You must have the ability to predict the future, right?)


    (You: Not really, I just guessed that you like to eatmb kidneys.)


    (Little girl: So you have mind-reading abilities, right? Then tell me, what am I thinking right now? If you answer correctly, I''ll give you a reward, but if you''re wrong, I''ll dig your brain out and put it in a hotpot.)


    (You feel a chill down your spine.)


    (Little girl: Hurry up and answer!)


    (The girl begins to reveal her true colors.)


    (You: Are you thinking about how to eat my brain?)


    (Little girl: You guessed wrong!)


    (The girl opens her mouth wide and bites towards your neck.)


    (You stop the deduction!)


    <i>Damn it!</i>


    <i>Too hasty!</i>


    Gu Yi shook his head. He didn''t expect even after predicting the plot in advance. Not only did he fail to seize the opportunity, but he also ended up shooting himself in the foot.


    <i>No, this is not the correct way to clear the task.</i>


    <i>Start over.</i>


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take the task, discard the offal in the kitchen, and arrange the shop owner to buy as manymb kidneys as possible.)


    (You take the little girl to y in the backyard.)


    (You obey the little girl''s every word.)


    (The little girl is having a great time.)


    (Little girl: I smell the aroma of barbecue. I want to eatmb kidneys.)


    (You: I''ll get it for you right away.)


    (You go to the door and receive themb kidneys from the shop owner.)


    (You hand it to the little girl.)


    (The little girl eats one after another, but can''t eat anymore after two skewers.)


    (Little girl: You can eat the rest.)


    (You do as she says.)


    (Little girl: It''s so boring, why don''t we y...)


    (You: If you think it''s boring, how about I do some magic tricks for you?)


    (Little girl: Yes!)


    (You perform a magic trick where you make your finger go through your ear, and the little girl gets excited and begs you to tell her the trick''s secret.)


    (You patiently exin it to her.)


    (Little girl: I think doing magic tricks is boring, I still prefer ying hide and seek. Or else...)


    (You shiver.)


    (You: It''s not boring, I''ll show you a different magic trick.)


    (You perform a trick where you elongate your finger.)


    (The little girl seems uninterested.)


    (Little girl: I''ve seen this trick before, it''s not fun at all.)


    (You: How about this one?)


    (Little girl: Boring, not interesting! I don''t want to see magic tricks, I want to y hide and seek!)


    (You grit your teeth.)


    (This is just the little girl''s first request, you still have a chance to persuade her!)


    (You: Hide and seek is too dangerous here, the patients have a lot of germs on them and they could infect you.)


    (Little girl: No, my dad said their sicknesses won''t infect us.)


    (You: This ce is too big, ying hide and seek is risky.)


    (Little girl: Then we''ll just limit ourselves to this backyard! We won''t go to the square outside.)


    (You: But this area is too narrow...)


    (Little girl: Are you making excuses because you don''t want to y with me? Are you rejecting me?)


    (You: No, I''m just discussing with you.)


    (Little girl: y hide and seek with me, y hide and seek with me!)


    (She asks three times in a row.)


    (You don''t agree.)


    (The little girl turns into a monster and swings her ws, chopping off your head.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    <i>Fourth deduction.</i>


    <i>Still ended in failure!</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and started to deduce again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You suspect that there may be false rules in the nanny handbook.)


    (You have already proven that refusing the little girl will definitely result in a gruesome death.)


    (Not only that, no matter how you satisfy the little girl''s requests, she will still eventually ask to y hide and seek.)


    (Hide and seek is unavoidable.)


    (There cannot be a chess game in this strange world that leads to inevitable death. There must be a way to safely pass through.)


    (With the experience of the previous four attempts, you wlesslypleted all of the little girl''s requests.)


    (The little girl looks at you and shows an innocent smile.)


    (Little girl: Let''s y a game, how about ying hide and seek?)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You nod helplessly. If you refuse, you will die immediately. Perhaps ying hide and seek may offer a glimmer of hope?)


    (Little girl: Great, then you be the ghost who hides, okay?)


    (You: Okay.)


    (Little girl: Then you quickly hide, I''ll count to one hundred, and thene find you.)


    (The little girl grins.)


    (You nod and find a ce to hide.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a chill run through your body, like falling into an ice cave.)


    (Everything around you turns transparent.)


    (You turn around and find that your body was lying on the ground.)


    (You have really be a "ghost"!)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi was sweating profusely.


    He kept silently repeating "deduction begins" in his mind, but nothing happened.


    Gu Yi felt a headache, the result of mental exhaustion.


    He opened his eyes and cold sweat soaked his back.


    He had exhausted all five deductions and still could note up with a perfect solution!


    <i>Am I...</i>


    <i>Am I really going to die here?</i>


    Gu Yi was lost in thought while holding the nanny handbook in his hand.


    The store owner was getting impatient and knocked on the table, asking loudly, "Hey, what are you doing? Are you going to take this task or not?"


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment.


    "If Ie back tomorrow, can I still take this task?"


    "Huh? What are you thinking about?" the shop owner said. "She''s going home tomorrow."


    "Then can Ie back in an hour?"


    "I''m super busy right now, that''s why I need you to help me with the child. What do I need you to do with the child in an hour when I''m done with my work?"


    Gu Yi sighed helplessly.


    He couldn''t dy any longer and needed to regain his mental strength.


    If he wanted to get the live toad, he had toplete the shop owner''s task now.


    The toad might be the only clue to defeating the spider in Room 0.


    Only by killing the spider, he can sessfully enter Level -1 (basement) of the hospital without using the ess card.


    Dealing with this little demon was a hurdle that he would never be able to ovee!


    "Hey, are you taking it or not? Forget it if you''re not!"


    "I''ll take it. I''ll take this task," Gu Yi gritted his teeth and nodded.


    He couldn''t rely solely on his own abilities.


    Sometimes, he had to face difficulties head-on!


    The little girl blinked at Gu Yi and showed an innocent smile. She opened her arms and said in a childish voice, "Big brother, will you y games with me? The shop owner uncle can''t y with me, only you can."

 Chapter 18: Angel? Devil? (3)

    <h4>Chapter 18: Angel? Devil? (3)</h4>


    "Big brother, will you y games with me? The shopkeeper uncle can''t y with me, only you can."


    The little girl blinked her big innocent eyes, looking at him.


    However, who would have thought that the true identity of this little girl was a bloodthirsty cannibal.


    "Okay, I''ll y with you."


    Gu Yi led the little girl to the backyard.


    The little girl pulled Gu Yi to sit at a small table and handed her a doll.


    "Let''s y house, who do you want to y?"


    "I''ll y the big brother."


    "Then I''ll be the mommy."


    Gu Yi awkwardly smiled, not objecting to the little girl''s request.


    The little girl pretended to cook in the air and was amused.


    Gu Yi, however, was not focused, and his mind repeatedly pondered every detail of the previous deduction.


    But no matter how he thought, the ending was the same.


    <i>-Death!</i>


    He can''t y hide-and-seek with the little girl.


    He can''t refuse the little girl''s request.


    Both rules were true.


    So, as long as the little girl asked to y hide-and-seek, he was certain to die.


    "Son, dinner is ready, call sister toe eat."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi nodded and held the doll, sitting at the dining table.


    The little girl held a stic bowl with a leaf in it, "This is your food, you must have a bnced diet when eating."


    "But this is a leaf..."


    "What leaf? These are green vegetables!" The little girl put her hands on her hips, "Do you even know how to y house?"


    "Oh, sorry, sorry."


    Gu Yi waved his hand to appease the little girl''s emotions.


    He cooperated with the little girl''s request and pretended that the stuff in the bowl was green vegetables.


    Gu Yi suddenly felt a chill all over his body.


    He suddenly realized a hint that he had been ignoring.


    <i>-The bloody words behind the note.</i>


    ...


    In the real world.


    On the screen, Gu Yi stood in front of the shop owner and received a task.


    The audience was talking about it, and no one knew why Gu Yi hade here specifically.


    "What does this mean? Why can''t I understand what Master Yi is doing?"


    "I always feel that Master Yi''s thinking is ahead of us by several centuries. Did he obtain any clues that we don''t know about?"


    "Master Yi''s current behavior must have deep meaning!"


    The strategy group was different from the general public. They stared at the live broadcast screen from morning to night.


    Last night, Gu Yi had been sleeping in the ward and didn''t go anywhere.


    But as soon as it was free time today, Gu Yi came purposefully to the shop on the square, which was really unusual.


    "It can be determined now that Gu Yi must have unlocked a cognitive talent, and it is likely to be the kind of ability that can predict or discover hidden clues."


    "It''s so amazing."


    "It must be an SSS-level talent ability, right?"


    "The people of the Lighthouse Country have always said that strength-type talents are the way to go, but Gu Yi''s appearance tells us that cognitive-type talents are the strongest.


    In this decryption-type dungeon, strength is useless no matter how strong one is.


    Gu Yi must have discovered some hidden clues, and he wants to achieve the perfect level clearance!"


    When the team leader said this, everyone was shocked.


    If Gu Yi can achieve a perfect level of clearance, then in the real world, all the strange and unspeakable things that have run out of the Chongshan Hospital will automatically disappear.


    <i>-He really is a savior!</i>


    Soon, Gu Yi picked up the "Nanny handbook" and resolutely epted the task.


    The people in the strategy group saw the inevitable death g on the rules at first nce.


    "So, the key to this task is to not let the little girl ask to y hide-and-seek?"


    "It''s not that simple. What if the little girl asks you tomit suicide?"


    "A normal person wouldn''t suddenly say something like that, right?"


    "And there''s the red writing on the back of the note. It''s too unsettling."


    "Leader, I think we shouldn''t look at the red writing. It could lead us astray. All the red writing found in the square has had illogical and messy handwriting, so..."


    [Brother, I want to eat your liver!]


    On the screen, the little girl suddenly said something that made everyone''s hair stand on end.


    No one had the mood to discuss strategies anymore. Everyone''s gaze was focused on Gu Yi.


    "Is she crazy?"


    "Shouldn''t he try to negotiate with her?"


    "Damn it..."


    Suddenly, the little girl opened her mouth wide, revealing countless sharp teeth.


    The strategy team urgently cut off the signal, so as not to show any bloody scenes to the audience.


    The barrage was filled with question marks.


    This time, even the strategy team leader couldn''t bear to look at the screen.


    "Leader, Gu Yi..."


    "Don''t say it, quickly figure out how we can deal with the weirdness in reality."


    "No, Gu Yi, he''s not dead!"


    "What?"


    The leader was stunned for a moment and looked back at the screen.


    The little girl opened her mouth wide and pretended to take a bite out of Gu Yi''s stomach.


    Gu Yi cooperated by rolling his eyes and lying on the ground ying dead.


    "This... this really works?"


    The members of the strategy group watched the screen in amazement, their mouths agape.


    ...


    In the Weird World.


    In the backyard of the small shop on the square.


    "Big brother, I want to eat your liver!"


    "Okay, I''ll give it to you."


    Gu Yi opened his arms and smiled at the little girl.


    The little girl grinned and turned into a monster, charging at Gu Yi.


    But Gu Yi didn''t dodge or avoid, instead he opened his arms and weed her.


    The little girl pounced into Gu Yi''s arms, pretending to gnaw on his body.


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi rolled his eyes andy on the ground ying dead.


    Suddenly, the little girl turned back into a normal human andy in Gu Yi''s arms giggling.


    "You''re so fake! Hahaha..."


    "But I really could have been bitten to death by you!"


    "I want to eat your brain."


    "Don''t do it!"


    "Ah woo!"


    The little girl opened her mouth wide and bit Gu Yi''s head.


    Gu Yi patted the little girl''s cheek and begged loudly for mercy.


    The little girl let go of Gu Yi and wiped her mouth contentedly, "You don''t have a say in this."


    "Ugh..."


    Gu Yi rolled his eyes and held his hands up.


    The little girl was scared and screamed, looking at Gu Yi in horror, "What''s wrong with you?"


    "You ate my brain and turned me into a ghost."


    "Oh my god!"


    "I''m going to catch you..."


    "Don''t do it!"


    The little girl got up from the ground and quickly hid behind a big tree.


    Gu Yi let out a low roar and chased after her.


    "Ahahaha..."


    The screams andughter of the little girl echoed in the backyard.


    The shop owner stuck his head out of the window, looking curious as he watched Gu Yi, "This guy is quite good at taking care of children!"

 Chapter 19: Angel? Devil? (4)

    <h4>Chapter 19: Angel? Devil? (4)</h4>


    "I can''t run anymore, don''t chase me, brother."


    The little girl plopped down on the ground.


    Gu Yi grinned and sat beside the little girl.


    With a sudden leap, the little girl hopped onto Gu Yi''s back, showing no signs of fatigue.


    "Brother, carry me."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi turned around and held the little girl in his arms.


    The little girl turned her head, nced at Gu Yi, and happily asked, "Brother, my name is Yao Yao, what''s your name?"


    Gu Yi was momentarily stunned.


    "My name is Gu Yi."


    "Why did youe to this hospital, brother?"


    "I don''t know either."


    "I don''t think you''re much different from us. I don''t think you''re sick at all."


    "Is that so?"


    "I will definitely tell my dad. He can get you discharged early."


    "Where is your dad?"


    "He''s very busy. I don''t know what he''s busy with. He never ys with me."


    As Yao Yao spoke, she pouted in grievance and then fell asleep in Gu Yi''s arms.


    Gu Yi let out a long sigh.


    The child was so exhausted, and Gu Yi must have been mentally and physically drained as well.


    This exhaustion wasn''t just physical, but mostly mental.


    [Nanny Handbook] is actually all misleading, or maybe he misjudged a child.


    Although Yao Yao is a monster, fundamentally she is still a child.


    Even though she makes some terrifying requests - like eating your brain or eating your liver.


    But those are all part of her game.


    It''s like when ying house, using leaves as vegetables.


    All I need to do is agree with her and participate in her pretend y; she would never actually eat my brain or liver.


    <i>¡ªShe only wants to y games and act with me.</i>


    That''s why those two sentences are written on the back of [Nanny Handbook.]


    "She''s a devil!"


    "She''s very cute, isn''t she?"


    Don''t see her as a devil.


    See her as a lovely girl.


    In all five scenarios, Gu Yi never opened Yao Yao''s heart, and she never asked him what his name was from beginning to end.


    Only this time.


    They not only exchanged names but also gained friendship.


    Even when Gu Yi yed, he didn''t rigidly follow the rules, yet he still safely survived.


    Gu Yi held Yao Yao in his arms, silently contemting.


    This mission gave Gu Yi a great revtion.


    In this scenario, "perspective" and "mindset" are very important.


    If Gu Yi regards Yao Yao as an ordinary child, then [Nanny Handbook] holds no meaning for him, and he can y with the child safely.


    If Gu Yi sees Yao Yao as a man-eating monster, then [Nanny Handbook] bes a guide that leads him into the abyss, and no matter what, he will eventually die.


    Let''s consider the doctor''s mask as well.


    To the doctor, the live toads have no significance, so when Gu Yi wears the mask in the specimen room, he cannot discern the hints on the specimens.


    But as a patient, Gu Yi can see those crucial hints.


    Because in the patient''s world, toads eat spiders.


    But in the doctor''s world, toads don''t eat spiders.


    However, these two contradictory rules can coexist in this scenario.


    This may be the true power of the "Unspeakable."


    With this in mind, Gu Yi suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. He vaguely felt that he had found the key technique to deciphering.


    To prove this point, Gu Yi only needed to experience it firsthand.


    "Time is up."


    The shop owner came to the backyard and gently patted Gu Yi''s shoulder.


    Gu Yi stood up and handed the sleeping Yao Yao to the shop owner.


    "What is your rtionship with Yao Yao?" Gu Yi asked.


    "I am her uncle."


    "So, the dean is your brother?"


    "Yes."


    "I feel like I''ve never seen the dean in the hospital."


    "Him? He''s busy making big money. How can you still meet him? Hehe..."


    The shop owner smiled bitterly and shook his head.


    Gu Yi felt that perhaps the dean''s identity and whereabouts could be one of the clues to clearing the scenario.


    "Forget it, don''t mention that bastard." The shop owner gestured to Gu Yi with his mouth. "Follow me, I''ll take you to get the toad."


    Gu Yi followed behind the shop owner and entered the shop.


    The shop owner rummaged through boxes and found the liveliest toad, handing it to Gu Yi.


    The toad was contained in a ss jar.


    The ss jar had strong sound instion, so no matter how much the toad jumped or croaked inside, no sound could be heard from outside.


    "Take good care of it. It''s best to stir-fry it with bean paste. You can borrow some from the kitchen."


    Gu Yi was momentarily stunned.


    <i>So these monsters consider toads as ingredients for cooking?</i>


    "Thank you, shop owner."


    Gu Yi concealed the toad in his arms. He returned to the square, found a patch of grass,y down, closed his eyes, and restored his depleted mental energy.


    The bell rang at 12 p.m.


    All the patients rushed into the hospital.


    Instead of going to the cafeteria immediately, Gu Yi turned and went to the toilet. From the venttion duct opening, he retrieved 3D sses, an ess card, and a bird beak mask. Then he hid in the toilet and activated his special talent.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You have hidden several important items in your arms.)


    (Holding the ess card, you go straight to the door on the basement and swipe the card.)


    (The security department immediately appears in front of you.)


    (Security: Why do you have Dr. Gui''s ess card? He should have been fired.)


    (You: Fired? Shouldn''t he be dead? Killed by the big spider?)


    (Security: I don''t know what you''re talking about.)


    (The security officer doesn''t say much to you. He grabs you and teleports you to Room 0.)


    (The security officer doesn''t even bother to search the room properly. He''s toozy.)


    (You are thrown into the room.)


    (The sound of crawlinges from the ceiling.)


    (You hurriedly take out the live toad from your arms and smash the bottle with force.)


    (The toad crawls out of the bottle.)


    (It hops and jumps, hiding in a corner.)


    (You call out loudly, hoping the toad could help, but the toad couldn''t possibly understand humannguage.)


    (The spider''spound eyes flicker with red light in the darkness.)


    (The spider crawls towards you as if it is flying.)


    (You keep retreating until you hit the wall.)


    (Your heart race.)


    (Is the toad useless?)


    (The spider''s fangs are already at the tip of your nose.)


    (Your vision goespletely dark.)

 Chapter 20: Basement (1)

    <h4>Chapter 20: Basement (1)</h4>


    (You open your eyes again.)


    (You realize you hadn''t died.)


    (The spider''s fangs remain stuck at the tip of your nose, unable to descend.)


    (You move along the wall.)


    (Surprisingly, the small toad was biting the spider''s thigh, slowly devouring it.)


    (Boom!)


    (The spider suddenly shrinks and was swallowed whole by the toad in an instant.)


    (The toad eats the spider and remains motionless in the corner.)


    (You breathe a sigh of relief.)


    (You look up and see an entrance to a venttion duct above.)


    (There was a pile of debris in the corner of the room, resembling the spider''s usual food.)


    (You move the debris over and stack it beneath your feet, sessfully climbing into the venttion duct.)


    (You crawl inside the venttion duct.)


    (You notice that there are roaming security personnel throughout Level -1 [basement].)


    (They have dull expressions and didn''t speak to each other.)


    (asionally, a few people would suddenly disappear on the spot, probably off to attend to their tasks.)


    (You crawl cautiously, being careful not to make any noise.)


    (You find the so-called archive room, located behind the crematorium.)


    (Seizing the opportunity when no one was around, you jump down from the venttion duct and enter the archive room.)


    (You first arrive at the patient file cab and find your own file.)


    (The file was filled with garbled characters that you can''t decipher.)


    (You put on the bird beak mask.)


    ([Patient File])


    ([Number] ********)


    ([Name] Gu Yi)


    ([Gender] Male)


    ([Admission Date] Day X of the Year of Abundance)


    ([Participated Experiments] Socialization Transformation, Language Adaptation, Brain Modification.)


    (This file confirms your spection.)


    (Chongshan Hospital was not a traditional hospital but a research institute, and this world was not a reflection of the real world but another parallel universe. The indigenous people here use a calendarpletely different from the Blue Star.)


    (Socialization Transformation, Language Adaptation, Brain Modification.)


    (These three experimental projects seem ambiguous, and you have no idea what they actually mean.)


    (Socialization Transformation and Language Adaptation can be roughly guessed.)


    (Socialization Transformation should involve receiving prison-like management at Chongshan Hospital to adapt to the society here.)


    (Language Adaptation is probably about being able to understand thenguage spoken by the indigenous people.)


    (You noticed a detail early on: the patients here don''t speak. You can onlymunicate with the medical staff.)


    (Presumably, this is because you underwent the "Language Adaptation" experiment.)


    (The idea of brain modification sounds terrifying, and you have no idea what they have done to your brain.)


    (The only thing you can be certain of is that the role you currently y is that of a guinea pig in a research institute.)


    (You search for clues in other file cabs.)


    (Finally, at the counter of the [Research Materials,] you find the videotape of "Monster Siege.")


    (You search around and find a projector deep in the archives.)


    (You decide to watch the videotape on the spot.)


    (You put on the 3D sses.)


    ("Monster Siege" tells a very cheesy science fiction plot about monsters invading the world and people rising up to resist.)


    (The movie tells the story of the human world, with the protagonist being a person from the Dragon Country who also owns a very intelligent dog that ys a crucial role in the movie.)


    (For now, you haven''t found any useful information from the movie. It appears to be a very ordinary popcorn movie.)


    (You think for a moment and decide to watch the movie wearing the bird beak mask.)


    (Once the first frame of the movie starts, the entire visual style of the movie is off.)


    (It''s like a spilled paint palette, making it impossible to see the content clearly.)


    (A monster covered in ck fur reaches out from the screen.)


    (You remember the instructions for the sses.)


    (You quickly take off the sses.)


    (You discover that the ck-furred monster is still struggling to climb out of the screen.)


    (You quickly take three steps back.)


    (You feel the ground giving way beneath your feet, and you fall.)


    (You climb up from the ground.)


    (You look up and realize there is no hole above you. You must have passed through the wall and fallen.)


    (Apparently, there is another basement, Level -2, in the hospital.)


    (You feel somewhat puzzled.)


    (To reach Level -2 [second basement], you must simultaneously have the bird mask and the 3D sses, and encounter the appearance of the monster while watching the movie. You find these conditions too demanding, and there should be another way to reach Level -2.)


    (You calm down and start thinking.)


    (You realize that the method you used to reach Level -2 today cannot be replicated in reality. If someone discovers that the spider in Room 0 is dead, you will surely be caught by the hospital''s security personnel.)


    (You don''t have time to daydream; you must explore as quickly as possible.)


    (You take off the bird beak mask and continue walking along the corridor in front of you.)


    (The further you walk, the more dpidated the walls be.)


    (You roughly determine your direction and believe that you are directly below the crematorium.)


    (This is a huge boiler room with pipes everywhere. You notice a few people wearing elephant masks working inside. Deep within the boiler room, there is an elevator, and it doesn''t require an ess card to operate.)


    (You silently move away.)


    (You continue exploring further.)


    (You have probably been walking for twenty minutes, which is clearly beyond the original area of the hospital.)


    (The underground section of the hospital is muchrger than the aboveground.)


    (Both left and right sides of the corridor are lined with closed room doors, with a door visible every five steps.)


    (The deeper you go, the more eerie the atmosphere of the hospital corridor bes.)


    (The door handles are made of bones, the door panels are painted with fresh blood, the walls have muscle-like patterns that tremble with your heartbeat.)


    (The ceiling starts to drip blood.)


    (You don''t know if this is an illusion or reality.)


    (You notice ck hair growing on your arms.)


    (You continue walking forward.)


    (Your consciousness begins to blur, and you hear strange murmuring voices in your ears.)


    (You reach the end of the corridor.)


    (Everything around you returns to normal.)


    (However, your arms are now covered in ck fur, just like the monster that emerged from the movie screen.)


    (Your mental strength is stronger than before, and you can barely maintain your sanity.)


    (At the end of the corridor, there is only one office with a sign that reads "Dean''s Office.")


    (You can''t open the door.)


    (You look left and right, choosing to explore to the left.)


    (Your breathing bes rapid.)


    (You enter the room on the left.)


    (The door is unlocked, and upon opening it, you find yourself in a storage room filled with rows of cardboard boxes.)


    (You pick up one of the boxes and realize that it is identical to the one in your hospital room.)


    (The ck fur extends to your chest.)


    (You clutch your head, trying to think.)


    (But you realize that you can''t remain calm at all.)


    (A voice keeps echoing in your mind.)


    ("You are no longer human.")

 Chapter 21: Basement (2)

    <h4>Chapter 21: Basement (2)</h4>


    (You grit your teeth and persevere.)


    (With great effort, you manage to drive that voice out of your mind.)


    (ck fur starts growing on your legs.)


    (Unspeakable''s power bes incredibly strong here.)


    (You put the bird-beak mask back on.)


    (The process of your transformation slows down, but cannot bepletely stopped.)


    (You feel that it''s because you haven''t found more crucial clues or items, which is why exploring the second basement level is so difficult.)


    (You continue to search and explore here.)


    (You hear someone humming a song.)


    (You hide in a corner and observe carefully.)


    (It turns out to be a person wearing a kangaroo mask who enters the storage room. They open their pants, pull out a bunch of fresh ingredients from their crotch, and ce them on the cab.)


    (You feel nauseous.)


    (Apparently, the hospital''s food supplies are brought in this way by the kangaroo people.)


    (You secretly follow them.)


    (The kangaroo person approaches an elevator, which they can open without using an ess card.)


    (Once the kangaroo person leaves, you rush up to the elevator.)


    (You press the button in the elevator.)


    (The elevator can go to the first floor, basement, and the second basement.)


    (You press the button for the first floor.)


    (The elevator opens to the back kitchen of the cafeteria.)


    (It''s lunchtime, and there''s only one chef peeling potatoes.)


    (Chef: Why are you here?)


    (You dare not speak, as any attempt to do so would result in barking like a dog.)


    (Chef: Why aren''t you speaking?)


    (You lower your head and walk away.)


    (The chef stops you and removes your mask.)


    (Chef: We have an infected individual here!)


    (Doctors arrive in the back kitchen, and they grab hold of you.)


    (You are taken to the emergency room.)


    (The doctors use a chainsaw on you, severing your limbs.)


    (Doctor: No hope, send him to the crematorium.)


    (Everything goes ck before your eyes.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (Deduction ends.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again, sitting on the toilet, and carefully contemting everything that just happened.


    He took out a pen and paper, jotting down the new clues he obtained.


    1. The hospital has not only a Level -1 [basement] but also a Level -2 [second basement]. The deeper one goes, the stronger the unspeakable''s power bes. The bird mask possesses some ability to resist mental contamination. However, relying solely on the bird mask is insufficient for exploring the second basement.


    2. There are methods other than Room 0 to ess the hospital''s underground floors. The kitchen''s elevator and the crematorium can be used without an ess card. The secure methods to enter the back kitchen and the crematorium are currently unknown.


    3. There is ample evidence to prove that this is a research institute rather than a hospital, where they conduct modifications on humans. The native inhabitants of the hospital, including medical staff, employees, and security personnel, are all monsters.


    4. In the archive room, "Monster Seige" is just an ordinary movie. It only reveals its eerie side when one wears the bird mask. It can assist in essing the hospital''s second basement.


    But perhaps that is not the true purpose of "Monster Seige."


    The main characters in "Monster Seige" are humans, which indicates that the movie is intended for humans, not the natives.


    The monsters in "Monster Seige" develop hostility towards the medical staff in the hospital, which is why the monsters start chasing after the person once they wear the mask.


    Therefore, "Monster Seige" might be a tool to kill the indigenous inhabitants.


    5. Using Room 0 to ess the basement is not advisable. The toad must have a more significant role, and there might be more than onerge spider in the hospital. I muste up with a more reasonable method to enter the underground floors.


    Gu Yi didn''t continue the deduction and hid all the items before heading to the cafeteria for a meal.


    Sometimes it''s best to be concise.


    Due to his injuries not being fully healed, Gu Yi still hasn''t gone to the treatment room for medical treatment. He returned to his ward, and his fellow patient, Xu Nian, was still unconscious.


    Outside the window, barking dogs and honking vehicles could be heard.


    Today, another group of bosses arrived at the hospital. This time, the group consists of not only the Deer-Headed Persons but also the Bull-Headed Persons, Kangaroo-Headed Persons, Elephant-Headed Persons, and Pig-Headed Persons.


    Gu Yi believes that these individuals wearing different masks must have different professions and identities in the dungeon world.


    "Uh..."


    Xu Nian groaned.


    Noticing this, Gu Yi quickly turned his head to look at his ward mate.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Uh..."


    Xu Nian opened his mouth but didn''t speak.


    "Why aren''t you talking?"


    Xu Nian''s mouth slowly moved, but Gu Yi still can''t hear him speaking.


    "What is it? Do you want some water?"


    Gu Yi pointed to the water bottle behind him, and Xu Nian squinted and nodded.


    Gu Yi poured a ss of water for Xu Nian.


    Xu Nian took a sip.


    Gu Yi furrowed his brows, suddenly thinking of a possibility.


    <i>¡ªMaybe it''s not that the patients in the hospital don''t speak, but rather that I can''t hear them speaking.</i>


    Xu Nian clearlymunicated with him just now, but why couldn''t he hear any sound?


    Could this be rted to the various experiments conducted on him by the hospital?


    "Lie down and rest for a while."


    "Uh..."


    Xu Niany down obediently, staring at the ceiling in a daze.


    Gu Yi returned to his own bed and suddenly felt an itch on his wrist.


    He rolled up his sleeve and saw ck fur growing on his wrist.


    "Oh shit..."


    The power of the "unspeakable" is increasing, and he had starting to undergo mutation.


    If he doesn''te up with a way to clear the level quickly, he will eventually turn into a monster.


    Gu Yi immediately closed his eyes and activated his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You spit out the key to the ward from your mouth.)


    (Seeing your actions, Xu Nian opens his mouth in astonishment.)


    (You make a gesture to silence Xu Nian.)


    (You secretly open the door to the ward and carefully observe.)


    (Taking advantage of the nurse''s bewilderment, you quickly run out and hide in the toilet.)


    (You put on Dr. Gui''s attire.)


    (Most of the doctors and nurses in the hospital are concentrated in the treatment rooms on the second floor.)


    (Many unfamiliar guests, led by the Pig-Headed Person, have arrived on the second floor.)


    (You blend in with the doctors'' group and eavesdrop on the conversation between the Pig-Headed Person and the guests.)


    (Pig-Headed Person: Wee to Chongshan Hospital. If you want to choose **, Chongshan Hospital is your best choice.)


    (The Pig-Headed Person mentioned a strange term that you couldn''t understand at all.)


    (You specte that ** refers to humans.)


    (Deer-Headed Person: I want to choose **.)


    (Pig-Headed Person: What will you mainly use it for? To watch # or to apany #@#?)


    (Deer-Headed Person: I''m bored at home alone, so I bought one to y with.)


    (Pig-Headed Person: Then I suggest you choose a female. They tend to have a gentler temperament...)


    (The Pig-Headed Person uses more professional terminology and leads the first customer into the treatment room. They look through the ss at each sleeping patient.)


    (You feel puzzled.)


    (The Deer-Headed Person takes a stroll outside and finally chooses a female patient. He leads her out of the treatment room.)


    (You secretly follow them.)


    (Once the female patient steps out of the hospital building, she immediately transforms into a creature covered in ck fur. She has a very gentle personality and doesn''t resemble the aggressive ck-furred monsters seen in the basement.)


    (You sessfully blend in with the Deer-Headed Person''s group and squeeze onto the bus.)


    (The driver of the bus is a person wearing an elephant mask. He waves at you.)


    (Driver: Where''s your ticket?)

 Chapter 22: Exploration During the Day

    <h4>Chapter 22: Exploration During the Day</h4>


    (You: I''m sorry, I forgot to bring it.)


    (You sneakily get off the bus.)


    (The security guards at the entrance stare at you intently, and your actions have caught their attention.)


    (You quickly cover your mask and leave.)


    (You specte that disguising yourself as a customer and taking the bus is likely one way to progress in the game, but you don''t know how to obtain a bus ticket at the moment.)


    (You consider whether you can acquire a deer-head mask, but you ultimately dismiss the idea.)


    (You already have too many prohibited items, and adding such arge mask would make it difficult to hide things in the toilet.)


    (You return to the hospital.)


    (You arrive on the third floor.)


    (You notice that the security personnel are having a meeting upstairs.)


    (You turn around to leave and find a security guard standing in front of you. He is the same guard who was stationed at the main entrance earlier.)


    (Security Guard: Where''s your ess card?)


    (You: I didn''t bring it.)


    (Security Guard: Come with me. Your mask seems familiar. It looks like one we lost before.)


    (You: No, you''ve mistaken.)


    (Security Guard: No, you''reing with us.)


    (You attempt to escape.)


    (The security guard catches up to you and grabs hold of you.)


    (You end the deduction.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    <i>This time, the only information I obtained from the deduction is that the bus might be a safe way to leave the hospital.</i>


    <i>My next task is to figure out how to obtain a bus ticket.</i>


    "The Deer-Headed Person seems friendly. Maybe I can extract some information from them?"


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You follow the same approach as the previous deduction and arrive in front of the treatment room.)


    (This time, you try not to wander in front of the security guards. You seize the right opportunity and strike up a conversation with a deer-headed person.)


    (The deer-headed person is dressed in a sophisticated suit with a blue badge hanging from his chest. Upon closer inspection, you notice it says "Chongshan Hospital ess Pass.")


    (This badge is something even the hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, don''t have. Could it be a bonus item given after purchasing a bus ticket?)


    (The medical staff, like the patients, are unable to leave the influence of the hospital and reside in nearby dormitories.)


    (You: Brother, I see you''ve been wandering around for quite some time. Haven''t found the right one yet?)


    (Deer-headed person: The quality of ** these days is getting worse. Last time I bought one and took it home, it got the gue and died within three days. So now I only look for reputable hospitals.)


    (You remain silent for a moment.)


    (It seems that in the eyes of the natives, the hospital is a ce specifically for buying and selling humans?)


    (You imitate the ent of the deer-headed person and pronounce **.)


    (You: Many peoplee to the hospital to buy Petz now, right?)


    (Deer-headed person: Yes, it''s quite popr. Maybe because of that movie... What was it called?)


    (You: "Monster Siege"?)


    (Deer-headed person: Exactly.)


    (You: I think it''s just a popcorn movie.)


    (Deer-headed person: Are we talking about the same movie? It''s actually an art film that has sparked widespread discussions.)


    (You remain calm despite feeling shocked.)


    (You: I must have remembered wrong. Can you introduce it to me?)


    (Deer-headed person: The movie explores the rtionship between us and the Petz, and it''s very thought-provoking. That''s why I decided to buy my own Petz.)


    (You: By the way, how did you find out about our hospital?)


    (The Pig-headed person also asks this question when striking up a conversation with customers, so you follow their lead.)


    (Deer-headed person: Through TVmercials, of course.)


    (You: And where did you buy your bus ticket?)


    (Deer-headed person: Online shopping is convenient nowadays. You can order it online.)


    (You nod silently.)


    (The hospital has an internalwork, and you need to find a ce where you can ess the inte.)


    (The dean''s office has aputer, but you don''t know how to unlock it, and you''re unsure if it can even ess the inte.)


    (Deer-headed person: However, now the country has implemented real-name registration for inte ess. Without an ID card, you can''t buy anything online.)


    (You: Yeah, it can be inconvenient.)


    (You feel quite frustrated.)


    (Even if you know the ticket purchasing method, you currently have no way of obtaining an online shopping ID without an ID card.)


    (The clues to pass through each stage are interconnected. If you miss one step, knowing the answer won''t help.)


    (You continue chatting with the deer-headed person, even imitating the pig-headed person''s mannerisms and enthusiastically rmending products.)


    (Security personnel patrol the hallway.)


    (You use the excuse of needing to use the toilet.)


    (You hide in the square.)


    (You notice a kangaroo-headed person parking their car at the entrance. Two Kangaroo-headed individuals carry arge box of goods into the hospital building.)


    (The Pig-headed chef leads the kangaroo-headed individuals to the basement to deliver the goods.)


    (You feel that sneaking into the kangaroo-headed people''s cargo box seems like another way to leave the hospital.)


    (The kangaroo-headed driver is sleeping in the driver''s seat.)


    (You stealthily crawl into the bottom of the vehicle and hang upside down, surprisingly going unnoticed.)


    (You feel a wave of excitement.)


    (After a while, the kangaroo-headed individuals finish unloading the goods and drive away.)


    (You sessfully escape the hospital clinging to the underside of the vehicle.)


    (Once the car stops, you seize the opportunity and jump off.)


    (You are ecstatic.)


    (You never expected it to be so easy to leave the hospital grounds.)


    (But when you turn around, you see security personnel standing right behind you.)


    (Although you''ve been traveling with the vehicle for over twenty minutes, the hospital gate is only ten meters away from you.)


    (You: What?)


    (Security personnel: Where is your entry and exit permit?)


    (You: What permit?)


    (Security personnel: Come with us!)


    (The security personnel escorts you away.)


    (You end the deduction.)


    "Damn it, not a single loophole!"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and forcefully pounded on the bed frame beneath him.


    There were almost no shortcuts to clearing this dungeon.


    Using the delivery truck to leave seemed feasible, but it wasn''t the case.


    The hospital gate must have some "unspoken" rules protecting it. Even if one manages to sneak out of the gate, they can only go a few meters at most without the so-called "permit."


    The passengers on the bus have pass, and Gu Yi spectes that only those who have purchased a ticket can obtain a permit.


    Gu Yi feels an increasing itchiness on his wrist and rolls up his sleeves to examine the situation.


    The ck fur has be even denser.


    "Hah... there''s no time to waste. Let''s see if I can find any clues about the password for the dean''s officeputer."


    After thinking for a moment, Gu Yi decided to proceed step by step, following the hints provided by the clues, in order to decrypt the password.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You run out from the ward using the previous method.)


    (You decide to search for Yao Yao and ask about the dean.)


    (Sneakily, you arrive at the square.)


    (Avoiding the security personnel''s line of sight, you reach the small shop in the square.)


    (When the Shop owner sees you, he retrieves a gun from under the table and aims it at you, pulling the trigger.)

 Chapter 23: The Shop Owner’s Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 23: The Shop Owner''s Invitation</h4>


    (Bang!)


    (The sound of a gunshot echoes.)


    (You touch your body and realize that you don''t have any wounds.)


    (The Shop owner puts down the gun and waves at you.)


    (Shop owner: ording to the rules, if you enter the shop during non-business hours, I must shoot you.)


    (At this moment, your mask is shattered.)


    (Shop owner: Now, you''re already dead. Come in.)


    (You nod and follow the Shop owner into the shop.)


    (For the people here, the mask is their life. The Shop owner destroyed your mask, which is equivalent to killing you.)


    (Apparently, the Shop owner had known your identity all along.)


    (Shop owner: Dr. Gui used toe here often to buy cigarettes. I could tell from the first nce at your mask that you were pretending. He was fired a long time ago and couldn''t possibly be at the hospital.)


    (You: Then why didn''t you take me to the security department?)


    (Shop owner: It''s not written in the rules, so I don''t have to do it. Once someone deviates even a little, I have to kill them. Who wants to live like this?)


    (You feel surprised.)


    (You realize that you have overlooked something all along, which is the psychological experience of the other people here.)


    (You are confined within the hospital, but aren''t these healthcare workers also confined here?)


    (You have to follow the weird rules, but don''t they have to as well?)


    (The Shop owner prepares a cup of tea for you.)


    (Shop owner: Have a seat here for a while, y some cards with me. Don''t worry, I won''t cheat this time.)


    (You nod in agreement.)


    (You y a game of "Fight the Landlord" with the Shop owner for a while, and true to his word, he doesn''t cheat. You win arge sum of money. The Shop owner doesn''t get angry but instead smiles.)


    (Shop owner: You''re not the first person who wants to escape, nor the first person who wants to eliminate the "unspeakable." But so far, I haven''t seen anyone sessfully escape from the hospital.)


    (You: When did the "unspeakable"e to the hospital?)


    (Shop owner: Ever since my brother officially became the dean, none of the medical staff in our hospital have been able to leave. Since then, we must work ording to a strict set of rules and manuals. If we deviate even a little, we will be killed by the power of the "unspeakable." I''ve had enough of this life.)


    (You nod.)


    (You have had multiple interactions with the Shop owner, and he has developed a liking for you, which is why he opened up to you.)


    (You: What exactly is the "unspeakable?")


    (Shop owner: I believe it''s my brother''s greed. In order to gain enormous profits, he started the business of selling Petz.)


    (You: What does Petz refer to?)


    (Shop owner: *****)


    (The Shop owner says a few words, but you can''t understand them at all.)


    (You decide not to dwell on this matter any longer.)


    (You: Is there a way for me to leave the hospital?)


    (Shop owner: I''ve already said, neither you nor I have a way to leave this ce.)


    (You: What exactly is the movie "Monster Siege"?)


    (Shop owner: I''m sorry, I can''t reveal that information, otherwise I''ll be punished by the "unspeakable.")


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You: Do you know the password for your brother''sputer?)


    (Shop owner: I''m not sure, but he often uses his own birthday or my niece''s birthday as the password, which are *** and *** respectively.)


    (You silently take note of that.)


    (You: How are the hospital permits obtained?)


    (Shop owner: ording to the rules, the permit must be stamped by the dean to be valid. If you forge a permit, you''ll be sent to Room 0. Trust me, Room 0 is the most dangerous room in this hospital.)


    (You furrow your brow.)


    (The clues have reached a dead end.)


    (Compared to obtaining a hospital permit, getting a bus ticket has be the simplest step. You believe there must be other clues on the underground floors of the hospital. You need to find a safer way to ess the basements.)


    (You: Is there a way for me to ess the underground floors of the hospital?)


    (Shop owner: I don''t know. I don''t have the authority to go there.)


    (It''s difficult to obtain more information from the Shop owner, but you still have gained a lot.)


    (1. You know that there are many people in the hospital who, like you, fear the "unspeakable" and feel disgusted and afraid of the "rules.")


    (2. The Shop owner is a potential ally who may y a more important role in your custom clearance. )


    (Perhaps, gaining the friendship of others can provide you with more conveniences and important information in your progress.)


    (This is something you hadn''t paid attention to before.)


    (You suddenly remember the usage rules on the 3D sses.)


    (The rules on the front side help the adventurers, while the bloodied words on the back side hinder them.)


    (At the time, you thought it was a very contradictory ce, but now you realize that it actually makes sense.)


    (All the people in the hospital don''t want to live under the shadow of the "unspeakable." They also hope that an adventurer can change this world.)


    (The bloodied words of "I" sometimes help and sometimes hinder, which indicates that "I" may have been contaminated by the "unspeakable" or "I" might be the "unspeakable" itself.)


    (A series of footsteps can be heard from outside the shop.)


    (The Shop owner shakes his head and points outside.)


    (Shop owner: The security personnel is here. You need to find a way to escape quickly.)


    (You: Thank you for the information.)


    (You quickly leave the shop.)


    (You make eye contact with the security personnel.)


    (You end the deduction.)


    <i>"Huff-''"</i>


    Gu Yiy on the bed, deep in thought.


    After a brief conversation with the Shop owner, he realized that he needs to adjust his previous train of thought.


    Previously, he had always regarded the doctors, nurses, and all the hospital staff as his adversaries, but in certain situations, they could actually help him.


    When he attempted suicide, if it weren''t for the doctor''s treatment, he would have died long ago.


    To prevent him from attempting self-harm again, they even conducted daily inspections for prohibited items.


    Under the control of the rules, they had to engage in imprisoning and controlling the patients, but perhaps deep down in their hearts, they still held a sense of conscience to "save and heal."


    Gu Yiy on the bed in a daze, gradually drifting to sleep.


    Xu Nian gently tapped on the bed.


    Gu Yi woke up, turned his head, and looked over. Xu Nian opened and closed his mouth, seeming to be concerned about him.


    "It''s okay, I''m fine."


    "Uh..."


    Xu Nian furrowed his eyebrows and finally made a gesture of gratitude in signnguage.


    Gu Yi was taken aback.


    It seems that not only could he not hear Xu Nian, but Xu Nian couldn''t hear him either.


    <i>¡ªHe was treating himself as a deaf-mute person.</i>


    Gu Yi raised his finger and imitated Xu Nian, making a gesture of thanks.


    <i>Knock, knock, knock!</i>


    The sound of knocking on the door echoed.


    Xu Nian closed his mouth.


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow slightly, puzzled by this detail.

 Chapter 24: Toilet Chat

    <h4>Chapter 24: Toilet Chat</h4>


    Actually, Gu Yi had noticed this long ago.


    Patients rarely spoke to each other, or perhaps they had already spoken but he couldn''t hear them.


    Only when hemunicated with medical staff and personnel could he do so without any hindrance.


    Was this simply because he was a "special test subject"?


    Or perhaps, the role he yed was not human at all, but rather a local indigenous like the staff?


    The door opened, and the nurse nced at the two people in the ward.


    "It''s almost dinner time. Xu Nian, can you go by yourself?"


    Xu Nian tilted his head and thought for a moment before nodding.


    Xu Nian could understand what the doctor said, but he couldn''t speak in front of the nurse.


    "In that case, Gu Yi, you go and take him to the cafeteria."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi borrowed a wheelchair from the nurse''s station and pushed Xu Nian to the cafeteria.


    Xu Nian was very grateful and excitedly nodded and thanked Gu Yi repeatedly.


    Gu Yi patted Xu Nian''s shoulder to calm his emotions.


    After dinner, Gu Yi went to the toilet.


    Just as he was about to engage in another round of deduction, he suddenly heard a voice from the stall on his left.


    "Brother, do you have any paper over there? Can you give me one?"


    "Just a moment."


    Gu Yi''s heart pounded, and he turned around to tear off a piece of toilet paper and handed it under the partition.


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi heard the sound of the person fastening his belt and then the sound of releasing the belt - he had sat back on the toilet again.


    <i>Puff!</i>


    Gu Yi frowned and covered his nose.


    "Are you having diarrhea?"


    "Well, there''s nothing I can do." The person said, "I almost have diarrhea every day. I''m someone who can''t eat meat. Whenever I eat it, I get diarrhea. But the hospital rules require me to order one meat dish and one vegetable dish, which makes my daily life unbearable."


    "Why does the cafeteria have such strange rules?"


    "Who knows? The damn dean is a perfectionist. Buying meals is like solving math problems every time, it''s really annoying. Brother, can you give me another piece of paper?"


    "Well, here you go."


    Gu Yi handed the paper over.


    After pondering for a moment, Gu Yi decided to chat with the person next door for a while, but he was worried that he might inadvertently vite some rules, so he decided to use his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You: Are you Dr. Li?)


    (Dr. Li: How did you know?)


    (You: You check on me every day, and I remember your voice.)


    (Dr. Li: Yeah, I was wondering why your voice sounded so familiar.)


    (You: Dr. Li, do you know "Monster Siege"?)


    (Dr. Li: Where did you hear that term?)


    (You: I heard it from the shop owner in the square.)


    (Dr. Li: Let''s talk about something else.)


    (You nod silently, apparently, the hospital staff also have their own set of rules and can''t discuss "Monster Siege" too much.)


    (You: Why can''t I understand what other patients are saying?)


    (Dr. Li: That''s because they are ill, but your condition is milder.)


    (You: Actually, I want to know what kind of illness we have exactly.)


    (Dr. Li: Didn''t I already tell you? It''s a mental illness.)


    (You: If it''s a mental illness, why does Xu Nian have so many surgical scars on his body? If this is a mental hospital, why do you have the qualifications for surgeries?)


    (Dr. Li''s tone bes noticeably colder.)


    (Dr. Li: Gu Yi, it seems your condition has worsened, you need a higher dosage.)


    (You: Dr. Li, I understand your difficulties. You just need to tell me yes or no. If you can''t speak, then knock on the partition once for yes and twice for no.)


    (Dr. Li: What do you mean?)


    (You: You''re using unconventional treatment methods on patients, performing surgical procedures even though it''s a mental illness, such as amputations. Is it because of the influence of the rules?)


    (Dr. Li remains silent for a while, then knocks once on the partition.)


    (As you expected, doctors, like the shop owner, are also controlled by the rules. They are not unapproachable or unexploitable.)


    (However, the rules only restrict them from "speaking," but not from municating.")


    (You: You can''t directly talk about these things, or else you''ll die too, right?)


    (Dr. Li knocks once.)


    (You: You also don''t want to be trapped in this hospital, do you?)


    (Dr. Li knocks once on the partition.)


    (You: Do you know how to leave the hospital?)


    (Dr. Li knocks twice.)


    (You ponder for a while and ask a very bold question.)


    (You: In your eyes, am I the same as the other patients?)


    (Dr. Li knocks twice.)


    (You: In your eyes, am I one of your kind?)


    (Dr. Li knocks once, then twice.)


    (Yes, and no.)


    (You clench your fists as you find answers to some inexplicable aspects.)


    (Any treatment the hospital performed on you was meant to turn you into a monster, to be a monster just like them.)


    (However, in your eyes, the doctors and nurses were merely humans wearing masks.)


    (If you didn''t vite the rules, these people wouldn''t turn into monsters.)


    (The words "I am human" have repeatedly appeared in the bloody hints of "I".)


    (It was a clear hint.)


    (If you want to sessfully pass through, you have to maintain your humanity and constantly remind yourself that you are human.)


    (However, the current situation is not optimistic.)


    (In the eyes of the doctors, you have already be different from other humans, and you can onlymunicate with the doctors but not the patients.)


    (The power of the "unspeakable" has already started to infect your cognitive system.)


    (Dr. Li: I''ve talked enough, I have to go.)


    (Dr. Li left the restroom, releasing a fart as he departed.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi sat on the toilet, waiting silently.


    Dr. Li was setting off fireworks next door, borrowing toilet paper from Gu Yi four times in a row.


    By the time Dr. Li finished using the toilet, dinner time had already ended. Gu Yi gave up on the opportunity to specte in the toilet and returned to the ward.


    Just like the first day, Gu Yi woke up at midnight and continued exploring the hospital using his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You escape from the ward with ease.)


    (You have be familiar with the night watch doctor''s patrol route from previous experiences.)


    (While exploring at night, as long as you don''t use the ess card, it''s unlikely the security department would catch you.)


    (You go directly to the third floor.)


    (You arrive at the dean''s office using the venttion duct.)


    (You turn on theputer and try entering the dean''s and the dean''s daughter''s birthdates as passwords, but it still didn''t unlock theputer.)


    (You feel frustrated.)


    (Suddenly, you hear footsteps outside the door.)


    (Quickly, you unplug theputer and hide behind the bookshelf.)

 Chapter 25: Confronting the "Unspeakable"

    <h4>Chapter 25: Confronting the "Unspeakable"</h4>


    (The Dean enters the office.)


    (He looks at the dust on the desk, appearing somewhat puzzled.)


    (He turns his head towards the position of the bookshelf.)


    (You notice that the Dean wasn''t wearing a mask, and he reveals a smile.)


    (Dean: I see you.)


    (You are unsure whether the Dean is a friend or foe. After struggling for a moment, you decide toe out.)


    (Dean: What are you doing here? Why aren''t you on duty?)


    (You: Nothing.)


    (Dean: Is today your first day on the job? You dare to enter my office without permission?)


    (You pause for a moment, realizing that you were wearing a bird beak mask, and the Dean mistook you for hospital staff.)


    (You: I''m sorry.)


    (Dean: It seems I need to establish some rules again.)


    (The Dean takes out a pen from his chest and writes a line on a piece of paper, then stick it on the office door.)


    (Suddenly, you hear a low murmur in your ear.)


    (You see a ck figure appear behind the Dean.)


    (It is the first time you directly faced the unspeakable.)


    (Dean: From now on, without my permission, no one is allowed to enter my office.)


    (The power of the unspeakable is activated, forcefully pushing you out of the office.)


    (The door of the office had a message written on it: "Without the Dean''s permission, no one can enter the office.")


    (You try turning the doorknob.)


    (The doorknob is extremely hot, burning your palm.)


    (Evidently, the Dean has merged with the "unspeakable," and he can use the power of the "unspeakable" to temporarily establish rules.)


    (Within the hospital''s boundaries, the Dean is like a god.)


    (No wonder the third-floor office area was empty at night. It was because the Dean mighte to the office at night and didn''t want to encounter other staff members.)


    (Sneaking into the office will make the Dean more vignt and lead to the establishment of new rules, prohibiting others from entering the office.)


    (Therefore, you shouldn''t attempt to crack theputer password until you have 100% certainty.)


    (You need to understand the Dean''s movement patterns to avoid encountering him in his office.)


    (Additionally, there was another Dean''s office in the second basement, and you don''t know if there would be any other clues there.)


    (Now, you have finally found the final boss of this dungeon.)


    (You feel that there is nothing else to explore at the moment.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi''s consciousness returned to reality, and he slowly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath.


    In the weird world, the unspeakable was divided into two types.


    One was the "conceptual" unspeakable.


    This type of unspeakable had no physical form and couldn''t be defeated. It was the most challenging boss to deal with.


    The other type was the unspeakable that attached itself to a physical entity, simr to the Dean in this dungeon. As long as you found their weakness and destroyed them, you could achieve a perfectpletion.


    Gu Yi felt relieved.


    Although this dungeon was difficult, at least the final boss had a physical form. The difficulty ofpleting the scenario would be much lowerpared to dealing with a conceptual boss.


    Gu Yi felt a bit weary and closed his eyes, drifting back to sleep.


    ...


    He woke up the next day.


    Gu Yi felt an unbearable itch in his hand.


    He rolled up his sleeves and saw that the ck fur had already spread from his wrist to his elbow.


    It was now 6 a.m., and the doctor hadn''t arrived yet. He had to find a way to deal with his wrist; otherwise, he might end up being taken to the emergency room for amputation.


    Gu Yi went to the ward''s bathroom and used a razor to shave off the ck fur on his hand.


    As the ck fur fell into the sink, it immediately transformed into grayish-white maggots and wriggled down the drain.


    Gu Yi finally managed to shave off the ck fur, but he still felt itchy.


    Just a few minutes after shaving, stubble had already started to grow back.


    At this rate of growth, the ck fur would soon cover his entire arm, and he would undoubtedly be sent for amputation.


    After a while, the doctor entered the room for rounds.


    Gu Yi easily managed to deceive the doctor.


    When Xu Nian saw Gu Yi spit out the pill, he was stunned.


    "Hush-," Gu Yi waved his hand. "Don''t tell anyone about this."


    Xu Nian quickly jumped off the bed, rolled up Gu Yi''s sleeves, and touched the stubble on his hand. Then he pointed at the pill in the spittoon.


    "Are you saying that the pill is for treating my illness?"


    Xu Nian nodded.


    "But... I can''t take it."


    Gu Yi frowned.


    At this moment, he realized the most challenging aspect of the dungeon''s rules.


    <i>¡ªThe pill had to be taken.</i>


    If he didn''t take the pill, he would be gradually consumed by the unspeakable and turn into a monster.


    But if he took the pill, he would vite the rules of "I" and die on the spot.


    Gu Yi felt that "I" was most likely a tortured soul killed by the unspeakable.


    Therefore, when Gu Yi portrayed "I," he needed to experience once again the process of gradually losing his humanity.


    Among the customs clearance conditions, one of the customs clearance conditions is to survive in the hospital for 30 days.


    In fact, this condition was the most difficult to achieve.


    Either you would identally trigger an instant death g within thirty days.


    Or you would be chopped into a human stick due to the outbreak of the illness.


    Or before you even persist for thirty days you would be transformed into a monster covered in ck fur.


    Breakfast time arrived.


    After finishing breakfast, Gu Yi went to the square as usual for some fresh air.


    Gu Yi briefly exercised his body. Just as he stepped onto the treadmill, the Shop owner walked up to him and handed him a cigarette.


    "Want one?"


    "Um... thank you."


    The Shop owner lit a cigarette for Gu Yi.


    "It''s really troublesome. My niece hasn''t left yet, so I have toe here to smoke. She can''t stand the smell of cigarettes."


    "Hehe, she''s such a lovely child."


    They both took a puff of the cigarette.


    During the deduction process, Gu Yi had already interacted with the Shop owner and understood his temperament.


    As they chatted, the Shop owner even felt like he had met a long-lost friend.


    The Shop owner pointed behind him and smiled, "Why don''t youe with me?"


    "What''s the matter?"


    "That little troublemaker is leaving the hospital today, and she specifically asked for you."


    "Oh, really?"


    Gu Yi blinked and followed the Shop owner.


    They arrived at the backyard, where Yao Yao was squatting on the ground ying with mud.


    When Yao Yao saw Gu Yi, she quickly rushed over and clung to him like a monkey.


    "Big Brother Gu Yi!"


    "Oh!" Gu Yi''s cheeks turned red from the force. "You''re so strong; you''ll suffocate me like this."


    "Ah, sorry."


    Yao Yao quickly released Gu Yi and looked at him with an embarrassed expression.


    Gu Yi squatted in front of Yao Yao, gently caressing her head. "You called me here specially. Is there something you want to tell me?"


    "I came to bid you farewell. I''m leaving today, and I don''t know when I''lle back. Will we be lifelong friends?"


    "Of course."


    "Before leaving, I want to give you something. I think you''ll find it useful."


    While saying that, Yao Yao took out a pair of blue work pants from under her skirt.


    Gu Yi was shocked and dumbfounded.


    <i>¡ªThose work pants were exactly the same as the ones worn by the kangaroo-headed person!</i>

 Chapter 26: Kangaroo Pants

    <h4>Chapter 26: Kangaroo Pants</h4>


    "Why can you take out such a big lump from under your skirt?"


    "Why not?"


    Yao Yao looked at Gu Yi, blinking her big innocent eyes.


    Gu Yi took the work pants and carefully examined them.


    He confirmed that these pants were exactly the same as the ones worn by the kangaroo porter.


    "I really like these pants."


    "Put them on quickly!"


    "Now?"


    "Yes, hurry up and put them on."


    Gu Yi nodded and put on the pants.


    After putting them on, the pants had no weight at all. It felt like wearing ayer of thin gauze with no sensation.


    Before Gu Yi could react, Yao Yao pulled open his pants and swiftly disappeared inside.


    "Hey!"


    Gu Yi looked at Yao Yao in astonishment.


    His pants seemed like a bottomless pit, and Yao Yao disappeared as soon as she entered.


    Suddenly, Gu Yi felt an itchy sensation on his back.


    Yao Yao actually crawled out from behind him.


    "Ta-da!" Yao Yao cheerfully grabbed Gu Yi''s shoulders. "See, this is magic! Your tricks are useless."


    "This..."


    "This is the kangaroo pants I stole from Uncle Shop owner. Kangaroos use this to carry goods. It can hold at least ten cubic meters of stuff, and no one can tell."


    After speaking, Yao Yao crawled out of Gu Yi''s pants again.


    She patted Gu Yi''s waistband.


    The work pants immediately disappeared, even Gu Yi himself couldn''t see them.


    "You just need to pat twice, and the kangaroo pants can be used again."


    Yao Yao demonstrated it again.


    Gu Yi imitated Yao Yao''s actions and repeatedly tried them, unable to contain his excitement.


    With this thing, he could carry all the useful items on his body!


    This was simply a divine artifact!


    Gu Yi looked at Yao Yao with excitement, hugging her tightly.


    "Thank you so much, Yao Yao. You''ve really helped me a lot."


    "You''re my friend. It''s only natural for me to give you something, right?" Yao Yao looked at Gu Yi earnestly. "Brother Gu Yi, you must survive... and if possible, please save my dad."


    "Don''t worry."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    Yao Yao hugged Gu Yi''s neck, kissed his cheek, and then left the backyard of the shop.


    Gu Yi watched Yao Yao leave and got into a ck car.


    If he hadn''tpleted the task of being a nanny, if he hadn''t gained the friendship of the little one, he would never have obtained such a divine artifact.


    Gu Yi turned around and passed by the Shop owner.


    "Good luck."


    The Shop owner nodded at Gu Yi and continued tinkering with the goods on the shelves.


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi grinned.


    <i>¡ªOf course, besides dealing with the little one, the Shop owner was the same.</i>


    If his "tricks" hadn''t impressed the Shop owner before, he wouldn''t have turned a blind eye to Yao Yao stealing things.


    With this pair of work pants, Gu Yi''s tasks became much more convenient.


    Gu Yi continued to exercise his body in the square.


    At lunchtime, Gu Yi quickly finished his meal and went straight to the toilet.


    Bird mask, white robe, 3D sses, live toad, and the key to the ward.


    These were the five important items that Gu Yi currently possessed.


    Every time he entered the ward, Gu Yi had to swallow the key and spit it out once he was inside, in order to avoid being searched by the medical staff. Now, Gu Yi could hide all these items in his kangaroo pants.


    -This greatly improved Gu Yi''s efficiency and safety.


    Gu Yi put away the items and returned to his hospital ward.


    It was time for afternoon treatment.


    Gu Yi didn''t take a nap with Xu Nian. Instead, he leaned against the window and carefully observed the vehiclesing and going.


    When a delivery truck parked in the front courtyard of the hospital, Gu Yi immediately initiated his deduction.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take out the key from your kangaroo pants.)


    (You put on Dr. Gui''s disguise, quietly open the door to the ward, and walk through the fire escape to the front courtyard.)


    (You try to avoid the surveince of the security department.)


    (Two kangaroo porters get off the truck.)


    (You hide and sneak past them.)


    (You hear the kangaroo driver on the truck snoring.)


    (Carefully, you sneak into the driver''s cabin and sessfully steal the kangaroo mask.)


    (The kangaroo person is sleeping deeply and doesn''t react at all.)


    (You take off Dr. Gui''s clothes, and put on the mask, pretending to be a kangaroo person.)


    (You confidently walk into the hospital building.)


    (The kangaroo person finishes delivering the goods and leaves.)


    (You wait for a while and then go to the back kitchen of the cafeteria.)


    (The chef looks at you suspiciously.)


    (You lie and say that something was lost in the basement and you want to go downstairs to check.)


    (The chef stops questioning.)


    (You enter the special elevator for chefs and easily reach the basement.)


    (The power of Unspeakable here is obviously stronger than upstairs.)


    (You feel yourself bing more irritable.)


    (You go straight to the archive room and sessfully steal the videotape of "Monster Siege" and the projector.)


    (You hide "Monster Siege" in your kangaroo pants.)


    (Your disguise doesn''t arouse suspicion from the security department.)


    (You take the chef''s special elevator again and go down to the basement.)


    (You feel surrounded by whispers of monsters, making it hard for you to concentrate.)


    (You arrive at the same fork in the road asst time.)


    (This time, you choose to explore the right side.)


    (Just likest time, the further you go, the more the wall paintings be bloody and terrifying, and the contamination of the "unspeakable" bes more severe.)


    (You realize that you can no longer make any sound.)


    (At the end of this path, there are some medical instruments, most of which are abandonedrge medical devices.)


    (The instruments are covered in red rust, resembling blood.)


    (The smell of formalin fills the air.)


    (As you continue forward, you discover a pile of specimens made from humans.)


    (The first specimen bottle contains an entire human, the second one contains a human with limbs covered in ck hair, and the third one is a humanpletely transformed into a monster.)


    (You feel suffocated.)


    (You put on the bird mask and can seebels under each specimen.)


    ([Phase One Subject] Socialization experiment mostlyplete, but still possesses a certain degree of self-awareness.)


    ([Phase Two Subject] External appearance has changed; if the subject cannot adapt to the changes, it may be frenzied and attack the experimenters, in such case, amputation treatment should be applied as necessary.)


    ([Phase Three Subject] Fully sessful transformation of the subject; only an injection of the corresponding medication is needed to immediately be the desired Petz.)


    (You feel a sharp pain in your heart.)


    (You see the appearance of your fellow beings turned into specimens, preserved in formalin, and gradually lose your sanity.)


    (Your body starts to grow ck hair.)


    (You''re losing control.)

 Chapter 27: The Origin of Petz

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Origin of Petz</h4>


    (You forcefully break your index finger.)


    (The intense pain instantly clears your mind.)


    (The specimens here have proven the true nature of the hospital''s research: they are transforming humans into those ck-haired monsters known as Petz.)


    (You continue walking forward.)


    (You find a pile of certificates and photos.)


    (You discover the dean holding a Petz, as if walking a dog.)


    (He stands on arge podium.)


    (The dean is the only person without a mask.)


    (Other people wearing various animal masks apud excitedly from below, while the dean smiles arrogantly, causing you physical difort.)


    (You vaguely understand why the indigenous people wanted to purchase Petz.)


    (You specte that they are simply for their amusement, just like humans buying cats and dogs.)


    (However, human dignity does not allow such things to happen.)


    (So the hospital uses these methods to transform humans and turn them into pets that adapt to their society.)


    (In the eyes of the indigenous people, humans are just a group of low-level creatures.)


    (The dean "tames" humans in such an inhumane way.)


    (Is this the truth?)


    (You kneel on the ground, feeling everything around you twist and distort.)


    (You shake your head.)


    (At the Level -2 floor, your mind remains in an unstable state, making it difficult for you to determine if this ce is real or an illusion.)


    (What if those photos and specimens are all fake?)


    (Or... perhaps...)


    (The world above the hospital is fake, and the underground world is the real one?)


    (You cannot judge at the moment.)


    (The unspeakable has greatly inhibited your thinking, making it impossible for you to reason normally.)


    (You can no longer bear the pressure.)


    (You are about to copse.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, leaning against the windowsill, and vomited with nausea.


    Xu Nian stood up and wanted to help him, but Gu Yi waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.


    During thetter part of the deduction, Gu Yi lost the ability to distinguish between reality and illusion. He felt that he had developed severe cognitive impairment on the Level -2 floor, and what he saw and heard there could not be used as clues for reasoning.


    Gu Yi believed that Level -2 (second basement) might not be real.


    Many things here were illusions, and they must be allegorical representations of certain things in the real world.


    There must be other props in the hospital that could dispel the illusions.


    Gu Yi was convinced that he had figured out a way to uncover the truth of the decryption dungeon¨C that is collecting all the animal masks.


    "Xu Nian, stay here and behave yourself. Don''t wander around or make a scene. Trust me, everything I do is to save all humans."


    Gu Yi patted Xu Nian''s shoulder, then took out the ward key and Dr. Gui''s disguise from his kangaroo pants.


    Disguised and ready.


    Gu Yi skillfully opened the door, bypassed the surveince, and evaded the medical staff and security department''s sight with ease.


    With the previous deduction as a guide, Gu Yi arrived at the driver''s cabin of the delivery truck, stole the kangaroo mask from the driver, and sessfully obtained the "Monster Siege" videotape from the basement''s archive room.


    Ten minutester.


    Gu Yi hid near the window, looking down at the delivery truck.


    The driver in the cabin remained motionless, while his two colleagues appeared panicked and quickly sought help from the hospital staff.


    The hospital staff brought various emergency supplies to rescue the driver, but ultimately, they couldn''t save him.


    Indeed...


    Everything happened just as Gu Yi had imagined.


    The masks meant lives.


    If he took someone else''s mask, it meant that person would die within a short period of time.


    However, Gu Yi felt no guilt about it.


    These indigenous people treat humans as experimental tools, as guinea pigs, and as disposable goods. Gu Yi feels no sympathy for them.


    To Gu Yi, they are just tools that can be used.


    Now that Gu Yi has obtained the new prop, the "Monster Siege" videotape, he decided to conduct an experiment to test his theory. He hid in the second-floor toilet and began another deduction.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You change into Dr. Gui''s clothes in the toilet.)


    (At this moment, it''s time for the Deer headed person toe and select a Petz.)


    (With the experience from the previous deduction, you can now interact with the Deer headed person naturally, and you can even discern different individuals from subtle differences in their masks.)


    (You find the Deer headed person you previously approached.)


    (You: Sir, I don''t think Petz number 1557 is suitable for you.)


    (The Deer headed person turns to look at you.)


    (Deer-headed person: I heard that Petz number 1557 is very strong and has even won awards?)


    (You: Although Petz number 1557 looks robust, it actually has many hidden injuries. Taking it home may lead to an outbreak of gue.)


    (Deer-headed person: You''re the first person I''ve seen who promotes their product like this.)


    (You: I won''t earn money with a guilty conscience.)


    (Deer-headed person: You''re special.)


    (With the experience from the previous deduction, you quickly establish a rapport with the Deer headed person.)


    (Deer-headed person: So, are you certain that the hospital has better-quality Petz?)


    (You: Of course. Would you like toe with me and see for yourself?)


    (Deer-headed person: Sure.)


    (You lead the Deer headed person to the first-floor ward area.)


    (You bring him into your own hospital room.)


    (Upon seeing the Deer headed person, Xu Nian appears somewhat panicked. But he is too weak to escape, evencking the strength to run away.)


    (You reassure Xu Nian and have the Deer-headed person sit by your bed.)


    (Deer-headed person: Is he the superior breed you mentioned?)


    (You: Whether he is a superior breed or not, you can judge for yourself. I have a special device here that can test the physical qualities of Petz.)


    (You deceive the Deer headed person into wearing the 3D sses.)


    (You turn on the projector and start ying "Monster Siege.")


    (In no time, the Deer headed person''s expression turns to terror.)


    (A monster bursts out of the screen and pins the Deer headed person to the ground, snapping his neck in a matter of seconds.)


    (Xu Nian covers his mouth to prevent himself from screaming.)


    (You quickly turn off the projector and hide the projector and videotape in your kangaroo pants.)


    (You remove the Deer headed person''s mask.)


    (You turn your head to look at Xu Nian, only to see him with a terrified expression.)


    (You quickly turn away.)


    (The Security Department personnel appear behind you in an instant.)


    (Security: You killed a guest.)


    (The Security personnel roar and grab hold of your neck.)


    (You can''t break free.)


    (Your vision turns pitch ck.)


    (You are tied up and taken to Room 0.)


    (A giant spider descends from above.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)

 Chapter 28: The Flaw in the Rules (1)

    <h4>Chapter 28: The w in the Rules (1)</h4>


    "Phew... Here we go again!"


    Gu Yi let out a long breath, leaning against the toilet with a furrowed brow.


    Once again, he was caught by the Security Department personnel at a critical moment. How did they discover that he killed a guest?


    Shaking his head, Gu Yi started the deduction anew.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You sit on the toilet and summarize the new clues you just obtained.)


    (1. "Monster Siege" does have the ability to kill indigenous people, but the conditions are very harsh. It is extremely difficult to trick someone into wearing the 3D sses alone.)


    (2. After killing the Deer headed person, the Security Department personnel arrive at the scene immediately. Is this due to the rules, or does the Security Department possess some special abilities that you haven''t figured out yet?)


    (You have always kept your distance from the Security Department personnel, which has led to an insufficient understanding of their capabilities.)


    (You decide to investigate the abilities of the Security Department before stealing the Deer head mask.)


    (Carefully pondering, you notice a detail.)


    (Everyone in the hospital is extremely violent.)


    (Doctors can directly grab your head and smash it against the wall, nurses can stab your eyes with a ballpoint pen, chefs can attack you with a knife, and the shop owner at the small shop can shoot you in the head.)


    (The Security Department, however, is the only group of people who do not resort to violence.)


    (When you vite the rules, they don''t kill you on the spot but instead, lock you in Room 0.)


    (If it weren''t for being knocked unconscious during the previous deduction, you might even be able to escape with the help of the toad''s power after entering Room 0, but that would undoubtedly trigger more chain reactions.)


    (<i>Is there any loophole I can exploit?</i>)


    (You ponder for a long time but gain no insights.)


    (You feel that understanding the capabilities of the Security Department and the rules to be followed is crucial. You decide to take a bold attempt and pretend to be a job applicant.)


    (You step out of the hospital ward and arrive on the third floor, wearing the kangaroo mask.)


    (The Security Department personnel show a puzzled expression upon seeing you.)


    (Security: Where is your employee ID?)


    (You: I''m new here.)


    (Security: New?")


    (You: Yes, but I got lost in the hospital. I don''t know how to get to the HR Department.)


    (Security: You...)


    (You: Can you show me the way?)


    (Security: It''s on the basement floor. I''ll take you there.)


    (The Security Department personnel clearly don''t fully believe you. He personally escorts you through the elevator to the basement floor.)


    (A Security Department personnel passes by your side, stands still, takes out a small booklet from his pocket, writes something on it, and instantly disappears from the spot.)


    (You specte that the booklet is the tool for the Security Department''s instant movement.)


    (Security: This is the HR Department. Go inside.)


    (You enter the HR Department, attracting the attention of the staff.)


    (HR: What are you here for?)


    (You: Job application.)


    (HR: I don''t recall receiving your interview appointment?)


    (You: My brother used to be a doctor in this hospital. I came here based on his rmendation.)


    (HR: What''s your brother''s name?)


    (You: Gui **.)


    (You answer calmly, without a hint of nervousness. The repeated deductions have honed your mental fortitude, allowing you to lie without flinching.)


    (HR: What position are you applying for?)


    (You: Security department.)


    (HR: I feel like you might be more suitable for a transportation job. We have always outsourced our material transportation, but now we have the opportunity to establish an independent transportation team. Are you interested?)


    (You: I still want to choose the security department.)


    (HR: Alright, do you know what the security department actually does?)


    (You: Can you introduce it to me?)


    (HR: Wait a moment.)


    (You clench your fist in excitement.)


    (It worked!)


    (HR retrieves a piece of paper from a stack of folders and hands it to you.)


    (You open it and see that it''s the "Security Department Handbook.")


    (["Security Department Handbook"])


    (1. You need to memorize the handbook of all employees. If an employee vites their handbook, you need to arrest them immediately and bring them to Room 0.)


    (2. You are the guardian of the rules, so you cannot vite any rules yourself.)


    (3. You must protect all hospital guests. If a guest is attacked in the hospital, you need to rush to the scene for rescue. If rescue is not possible, you must promptly control the person or object causing harm.)


    (4. Within the hospital premises, masks are life. Do not remove your mask during working hours.)


    (5. You need to ensure the security of all hospital property. It is even more important than your own life.)


    (6. You can use the hospital''s floor n to instantly appear in various corners of the hospital. Please be proficient in its use.)


    (Just as expected!)


    (You suddenly understand the reason why the security personnel appeared in front of you.)


    (It''s the power of the rules, letting them know when a guest is in trouble!)


    (You carefully read the Security Department Handbook and immediatelye up with a feasible n.)


    (You look at the face of the HR with a smile.)


    (You: I think the security department might not be suitable for me. What are the requirements to be a maintenance worker in the hospital?)


    (HR: It''s not possible, your strength is too weak.)


    (You nod. You have collected enough information from HR.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again.


    Now he has 20 mental energy points left, which is enough for him to carry out the final two deductions.


    During the deduction, he had already devised a n, and now he can use the remaining two opportunities to verify if his n can be realized.


    Gu Yi returned to his hospital bed and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You approach Xu Nian''s side and wake up the sleeping Xu Nian.)


    (Youmunicate with Xu Nian and make him cooperate with your n.)


    (Xu Nian is shocked by your crazy n, but he still decides to help you.)


    (You change into a doctor''s attire and go to the first floor.)


    (You arrive at the emergency room and hide the projector and the "Monster Siege" videotape.)


    (You return to the second floor and find the deer-headed person you encountered before.)


    (You sessfully gain the trust of the deer-headed person.)


    (You bring the deer-headed person to the emergency room and instruct him to hide in a corner.)


    (Deer-headed person: Why do we have to hide here like thieves?)


    (You: Because this way, we can see the truest side of Petz. Don''t you want to find the best quality Petz? This is the most suitable ce.)


    (Deer-headed person: Really?)


    (You: Why would I lie to you? By the way, put on these sses.)


    (You personally put the 3D sses on the deer-headed person.)


    (You check the time.)


    (A whileter, Xu Nian indeed arrives at the ward. He has a pale face and his limbs are twitching. Three doctors push Xu Nian to the operating table.)


    (You silently sneer and immediately press the y button on the projector.)

 Chapter 29: The Flaw in the Rules (2)

    <h4>Chapter 29: The w in the Rules (2)</h4>


    (A monster burst out of the screen, instantly killing the Deer-headed Man.)


    (You quickly take off your bird beak mask.)


    (The monster nces around and targets three doctors who are performing surgery. In less than three seconds, all three doctors turn into corpses.)


    (You turn off the projector.)


    (The monster disappears.)


    (As you expected, no one from the security department barged into the emergency room.)


    (The emergency room has regtions that prohibit anyone from intruding during emergency procedures, so naturally, the security department would not forcefully enter the emergency room to save people.)


    (Xu Nian climbs off the bed and excitedly grabs your hand.)


    (You reassure Xu Nian''s excited emotions and have him lie down on the operating table. You pack away the projector and videotape, and also took off the Deer-headed Man''s mask, hiding it in your pocket.)


    (You lie down on the operating table next to Xu Nian.)


    (The cries for help in the emergency room caught the attention of the doctors. They push open the doors to the emergency room and see four bodies lying on the ground.)


    (The doctor turns off the emergency lights with a remote control outside the door.)


    (You roll up your sleeves, revealing sparse ck hair on your wrist, pretending to be in a state of illness.)


    (Seeing this, the doctors quickly proceed with surgery on you and Xu Nian.)


    (Fortunately, your infection area was notrge, and the doctors did not resort to amputation. They just used an exaggerated shaver to shave off your hair.)


    (The shaver almost scraped off ayer of your skin, but you forced yourself to endure the pain.)


    (You can''t reveal any ws at this moment.)


    (After bandaging, you are sent out of the ward.)


    (ording to your judgment, even if four people died in the emergency room, the security department would not investigate.)


    (The manual of the security department does not include the duty to investigate the perpetrator.)


    (As long as they don''t catch someone red-handed, they simply don''t care.)


    (Just like when Gu Yi stole the bird beak mask and ess card, as long as he didn''t unt it in front of them, they wouldn''t pay any attention.)


    (The manual even contains sentences like "You need to protect the security of all hospital property, it is even more important than your own life.")


    (In this case, these people simply do not care about human life, not even the lives of hospital staff.)


    (You and Xu Nian return to your own ward.)


    (It is now evening, and nothing dangerous has happened.)


    (You sessfully obtained the third mask.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and walked straight to Xu Nian''s side, gently waking up his fellow patient.


    Xu Nian opened his sleepy eyes and looked at Gu Yi, bewildered.


    "Xu Nian, do you want to regain your freedom?"


    Xu Nian furrowed his brows,pletely unable to understand what Gu Yi was saying.


    Gu Yi sighed sadly and picked up a pen and paper, drawing and writing to finally make Xu Nian understand his n.


    Xu Nian''s mouth kept opening and closing, but Gu Yi couldn''t understand him at all.


    Gu Yi held Xu Nian''s wrist and said earnestly, "Believe me, we can do it! Do you want to stay in this prison forever? As long as we cooperate, we can ovee any problem."


    Xu Nian''s emotions finally stabilized.


    Although he couldn''t understand what Gu Yi was saying, he believed in Gu Yi''s character. Without Gu Yi, he would probably have died in the cafeteria long ago.


    Moreover, Gu Yi only asked him to pretend to be sick.


    <i>What''s so difficult about that?</i>


    Gu Yi changed into the attire of a doctor in front of Xu Nian.


    Xu Nian was no longer surprised. He had long realized that Gu Yi was not an ordinary person.


    Following the deduction fromst time, Gu Yi arranged the emergency room and then left to find the Deer-headed Man on the second floor.


    "You''re interested in Number 1557? I don''t rmend you buy it."


    "Oh? Why?"


    "I can tell that you''re someone who pursues a high quality of life and has a unique taste. The goods here are all very ordinary. Would you like to see some truly exquisite ones?"


    The Deer-headed Man looked at Gu Yi curiously.


    He had encountered countless salespeople in his life, but Gu Yi was the first one he had seen who was so confident.


    While leading the Deer-headed Man toward the emergency room, Gu Yi avoided the security department''s patrol route.


    After many deductions, Gu Yi''s eloquence had been thoroughly honed.


    The Deer-headed Man remained immersed in conversation with Gu Yi and didn''t pay any attention to him leading him in circles.


    Gu Yi brought him into the emergency room.


    The Deer-headed Man looked at the appearance of the emergency room and immediately expressed his confusion, "Isn''t this the operating table? Where can I see Petz?"


    "Don''t worry, don''t you trust me?"


    Gu Yi patted his chest, exuding a confident demeanor.


    The Deer-headed Man didn''t have much doubt.


    He had been to this hospital before and always had to abide by some strange rules, so when Gu Yi did all these bizarre things, he didn''t raise much guard.


    He thought it was just part of the hospital''s strange regtions.


    Xu Nian arrived at the ward on time.


    Gu Yi immediately put sses on the Deer-headed Man and pressed the y button on the projector.


    Gu Yi took off the bird beak mask and once again witnessed the scene of the monster killing the doctors and the Deer-headed Man.


    Watching it, in reality, was much more thrilling than in deduction. Gu Yi could even clearly hear the sound of the four people''s necks being twisted.


    "Ah!"


    Xu Nian excitedly muttered meaningless words on the hospital bed.


    Seeing this, Gu Yi quickly turned off the projector andforted Xu Nian, "Lie down and continue pretending to be sick."


    After arranging Xu Nian, Gu Yi skillfully took off the Deer-headed Man''s mask.


    As he put the Deer-headed Man''s mask into his pocket, the voice of the system suddenly sounded.


    <i>"You have collected three special plot props in the scenario: Bird Beak Mask, Kangaroo Mask, and Deer-head Mask."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration degree has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 17%."</i>


    <i>"You can choose one reward from the following three options."</i>


    <i>"1. Your mental recovery speed increases by 10%."</i>


    <i>"2. Your resistance to mental contamination increases by 10%."</i>


    <i>"3. Your sensitivity to paranormal events increases by 10%."</i>


    Gu Yi looked at the three options and fell into contemtion.


    In his previous deductions, he hadn''t anticipated the prompt voice of the system regarding talents. Obviously, the system''s level was slightly higher than his talent, so he couldn''t calcte the system prompts during deductions.


    A chaotic sound of footsteps came from outside the door, indicating that the doctors wereing to inspect the emergency room.


    Gu Yi didn''t rush to im the system reward. He turned around andy down on the operating table, closing his eyes.


    "What happened? Are they all dead?"


    "Don''t worry, turn off the emergency light first before entering, or else it will vite the rules."


    "Is it off? Hurry up and go in to save people."

 Chapter 30: The Third Mask

    <h4>Chapter 30: The Third Mask</h4>


    Gu Yi returned to his own hospital bed.


    To cover up his crimes, Gu Yi pretended to be infected andy on the operating table. As a result, he had to endure physical pain, with arge piece of skin on his wrist cut off by the doctors.


    However, after the flesh was cut off, Gu Yi''s mental state improved noticeably.


    But in thete night, after the effects of anesthesia wore off, Gu Yi began to feel intense pain in his wrist.


    Xu Nian patted Gu Yi''s shoulder with concern, but Gu Yi smiled and waved his hand.


    "I''m fine, I feel great."


    "Uh..."


    Despite Xu Nian''s words, Gu Yi still couldn''t understand.


    When it was time for lights out, Xu Nian fell asleep on his bed.


    Seeing that there was no one around, Gu Yi once againmunicated with the system, contemting how to choose the reward.


    The first reward, increasing mental recovery speed, didn''t have much effect for Gu Yi at the moment.


    Because the pace of this dungeon wasn''t very fast, Gu Yi didn''t need to use his abilities very frequently. Therefore, mental recovery speed was the first option Gu Yi ruled out.


    The second reward, enhancing resistance to mental contamination.


    Clearly, the unspeakable force behind the Chongshan Hospital possessed extremely powerful mental contamination ability. Just the exaggerated mental pollution on the underground floors alone was enough to understand how strong its power was.


    This reward could greatly enhance Gu Yi''s immediatebat effectiveness.


    The third reward was the so-called enhancement of "paranormal sensitivity."


    Gu Yi had once heard from the Dragon Country expert group that paranormal sensitivity was a double-edged sword. People with high paranormal sensitivity could discover many hidden elements in dungeons, but at the same time, it increases the possibility of encountering mental pollution.


    Gu Yi had the talent of unlimited deductions, and he could obtain dungeon information through trial and error. So paranormal sensitivity was not something he urgently needed.


    After weighing the options, Gu Yi immediately chose the second reward.


    A sense of rity washed over Gu Yi''s brain, and even his vision suddenly became much brighter.


    "I made the right choice after all."


    Gu Yi clenched his fist with force.


    In the past few days, Gu Yi''s mind had been under constant tension, and his mental state was on the brink of copse. Initially, he thought it was due to excessive pressure.


    However, after obtaining resistance to contamination, Gu Yi finally realized.


    His pressure came entirely from the "Unspeakable."


    In fact, this was the most difficult aspect of the entire dungeon¡ªhow to maintain a clear and calm mind under the mental contamination of the Unspeakable''s power.


    Tonight, Gu Yi decided not to explore further. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi, as usual, woke up promptly at six in the morning.


    He opened the curtains and took a look outside.


    A luxurious car was parked in the front courtyard, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that the person inside was not wearing a mask.


    In the entire hospital, there was only one staff member who didn''t wear a mask, and that was the dean.


    Last time, the dean went to the office in the middle of the night, but today he arrived at the hospital early in the morning,pletely breaking the routine.


    Gu Yi didn''t dwell on it too much. He pushed the wheelchair to the cafeteria for breakfast.


    After finishing, he headed to the square to move around freely and yed cards with the shopkeeper for a while.


    Gu Yi found that it was beneficial to cultivate friendships with the people in the hospital as much as possible. This could help him gain more convenience.


    "Do you know? Three more doctors were fired from the hospital."


    "Oh? Why?"


    "For unknown reasons." The shop owner shook his head. "Who knows what rules they vited?"


    "What happens when someone gets fired?"


    The shop owner grinned. "Getting fired means death. But I think it''s actually a kind of release."


    Gu Yi nodded, agreeing with the shop owner''s statement, which matched his own spection.


    "I saw the deaning today."


    "Yeah."


    "What did hee for?"


    "Who knows? Probably taking bribes." The shop owner sighed. "He''s the only one who can freelye in and out of the hospital. We''re just canaries in his cage."


    "Your appearance has nothing to do with being a canary."


    "Nothing to do with it? Sorry, I have a flush. I win this round."


    "Hey, are you sure you''re not cheating?"


    "It''s not cheating if you don''t get caught."


    Since the shop owner and Gu Yi were just ying cards and not gambling, they didn''t need to adhere to the rules of gambling.


    Gu Yi yed cards with the shop owner for a while, and shortly after, a kangaroo transport truck parked in the parking lot. Gu Yi bid farewell to the shop owner and hid in the toilet.


    "Start deducing!"


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You put on the kangaroo mask.)


    (Sessfully trailing behind two deliverymen, you made it to the second basement.)


    (Your mental power is stronger now, so you don''t immediately undergo mutation as before.)


    (You reach the depths of the underground second floor.)


    (The corridor here is still unbearably long, and you feel your inner turmoil and restlessness growing. You notice blood dripping from the ceiling again.)


    (You switch to the deer-head mask.)


    (At this moment, the corridor is no longer eerie.)


    (Just as you expected, the environment in the basement changes once you equip the new mask.)


    (You walk through the corridor, still feeling a sense of unease, asionally glimpsing the hallwayposed of flesh and blood.)


    (Despite wearing the mask, the unspeakable can still asionally affect your perception.)


    (You reach the end of the corridor, where the dean''s office on the underground second floor is located.)


    (The door is covered in chains, with a golden lock hanging on it.)


    (However, when you remove the deer-head mask, the lock bes invisible.)


    (The password for the dean''s officeputer on the third floor hasn''t been deciphered yet, and now a strange lock has appeared in the dean''s office on the second basement.)


    (You calm your emotions and ponder for a moment.)


    (Now you have three masks, each with its own function.)


    (The bird beak mask allows you to move freely on the first to third floors of the hospital.)


    (The kangaroo mask allows you to safely explore the first and second basements.)


    (The deer-head mask helps you resist mental contamination on the second basement and see some truths.)


    (If you want to unlock this lock, the clues are likely only on the elephant and dog-head masks.)


    (The person wearing the elephant mask is a maintenance worker in the hospital, but you rarely interact with them.)


    (You once tried to pick up the elephant mask, but it was too heavy to lift.)


    (Your next target can only be the dog-head mask.)


    (You already have a good grasp of the rules in the security department, but you''re not sure if there are any other hidden rules or user manuals.)


    (Perhaps you can continue to utilize the rules to sessfully obtain a dog-head mask.)


    (You haven''te up with a good n yet, so you turn left and continue to explore.)


    (You arrive at the storage room fromst time.)


    (You find the storage room filled with folded beds.)


    (You remove the mask, and the folded beds turn into cardboard boxes.)


    (You feel puzzled.)


    (After contemting for a while, you realize that you misinterpreted the patient handbook before.)

 Chapter 31: Diary Written in Blood

    <h4>Chapter 31: Diary Written in Blood</h4>


    (In your eyes, the cardboard boxes are just cardboard boxes.)


    (In the deer-headed person''s eyes, the cardboard boxes are folded beds.)


    (The patient handbook states, "There are always two people in the ICU," but it doesn''t emphasize that they are "patients.")


    (If you think about it carefully, when would a hospital add folded beds in the ward?)


    (Of course, it would be when patients need their family members to apany them.)


    (Therefore, the role you are ying actually has a family member as a caregiver, and this family member is a deer-headed person.)


    (You inhale sharply.)


    (Could it be true that you are not actually human but a native of this world, just as you suspected?)


    (But then, how do you exin having human diseases and being admitted to a hospital designed for humans?)


    (No, the line of thinking is wrong.)


    (You immediately reject your reasoning.)


    (Since entering this dungeon, each animal mask has a symbolic meaning corresponding to the culture of the real world.)


    (Dogs are known for guarding, so the security department people wear dog-headed masks.)


    (During the time of the ck Death, doctors wore bird beak masks as a symbol of warding off evil spirits.)


    (Deer represents elegance and nobility, while pigs represent greed andziness.)


    (Therefore, deer became the buyers of humans, while pigs became the merchants.)


    (Therefore, the symbolism of the cardboard box must also bebined with reality.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You previously spected that deer-headed people buy humans to keep them as pets.)


    (The only connection between pets and cardboard boxes is that they can be the nests for cats and dogs.)


    (Isn''t the barking that only you can hear in the hospital a hint to this?)


    (Yes, that''s the correct interpretation!)


    (In the eyes of "I", the indigenous people like the deer-headed person should be pets living in cardboard boxes, and "I" should be their owner.)


    (Now, "I" have transformed from an owner to a pet, and even under the influence of the "Unspeakable," "I" have be a helpless guinea pig,pletely losing their freedom.)


    (The entire dungeon is telling the story of how "I" escaped from the hospital under the control of the "Unspeakable.")


    (You feel a surge of rity in your mind.)


    (You havepletely grasped the truth behind the hospital and identity of "I".)


    (With only one step remaining, you''re getting closer to a perfect clearance.)


    (There''s no path ahead, so you head towards the right at the intersection.)


    (The original human specimens disappeared, reced by some biographies of the hospital''s Dean.)


    (You discover a wooden door that you didn''t notice during your previous exploration.)


    (You kick open the door with force.)


    (The room is filled with dust, and you can''t stop coughing.)


    (You see nothing in the room.)


    (You try to remove the mask in the room, but the entire room is covered in blood-red flesh walls, and your ears are filled with incoherent murmurs.)


    (You turn your head to look behind you, and the wooden door has vanished.)


    (ck hair is rapidly growing on your arms.)


    (You bite your lip hard, using pain to keep yourself alert, and continue walking towards the depths of the room.)


    (Amidst a wriggling mass of flesh, you find a small box.)


    (You hold the box in your hands and put on the deer mask again.)


    (The room returns to its normal state, and you breathe a sigh of relief.)


    (With the box in your arms, you leave the secret room.)


    (You open the box, and inside, there is only a stack of paper notes, all written in blood by "I," resembling diary entries.)


    (1. Month of Melting Moon, Star Water Day: Today, Mom taught me a new word.)


    (Freedom.)


    (I told Mom that I''m not free.)


    (2. Month of Melting Moon, Star Gold Day: Math is really difficult, and I don''t want to study anymore. But Mom told me that if I don''t study, I won''t grow up.)


    (In order to grow up, I must study hard.)


    (3. Month of Blossoming Flowers, Star Gold Day: Mom said I''ve grown up, and so it''s time I find a boyfriend.)


    (Mom told me I used the wrong word.)


    (I should find a mate, not a boyfriend.)


    (4. Month of Blossoming Flowers, Star Water Day: Mom showed me a few people''s photos, but I think they are too old and not suitable for me.)


    (Mom said finding a mate is a long process, and I don''t need to rush.)


    (5. Month of Abundant Harvest, Star Water Day: Lately, Mom seems very busy. She hasn''te to see me for a long time. What is she doing that she needs to hide from me?)


    (6. Month of Abundant Harvest, Star Fire Day: They asked me many questions, and even though I answered them, they are still very harsh on me.)


    (Did I give the wrong answers?)


    (7. I have dignity too.)


    (8. I am human! I am human! I am human!)


    (I am not an animal! I am not an animal! I am not an animal!)


    (Do not let them imprison me, I beg you!)


    (Mom, tell them I am human! You tell them, please.)


    (9. I am human.)


    (10. It told me that if I cooperate with it, I can regain my freedom. I have no choice.)


    (Now I know, it''s usin@#$ me--!)


    (Am I still ryfhhhhuman?)


    (It''s %@$&! manipting me!)


    (So I''m not human after all.)


    (Mom, I love you Mom, I hate you.)


    (Another new clue.)


    (The first 7 entries in this diary are legible, but thest 3 be very blurry and sloppy, with no dates. The 10th entry turns into apletely messy draft.)


    (From these writings, you can deduce the following information.)


    (1. "I" is a female. "I" have a mother, and "I" have reached the age where "I" should seek a "mate".)


    (2. Mother told "I" that "I" should seek a "mate" rather than a "boyfriend," indicating that in her mind, "I" have never been "human".)


    (3. Starting from the 5th entry, it seems like the mother did something strange, and this strange thing is likely to be "I" being sent to the hospital. The date in the 6th entry, "Month of Abundant Harvest, Star Fire Day," coincides with the time you were admitted, which is a clear hint.)


    (4. The "It" mentioned in the 10th entry likely refers to the "Unspeakable." It is because of this cooperation between "I" and the "Unspeakable" that the blood-written hints can possess the power of rules. However, from thetter half of the 10th entry, it can be seen that "I" is the one being used and have be delirious.)


    (5. It is highly likely that "I" was the first Petz, and the mother was the one who invented and cultivated Petz. However, based on the previous hospital posters, it was the dean who was credited as the inventor of Petz. Perhaps this is the reason why "I" was being used. The mother''s research achievements were stolen by the dean, who made a fortune from hical means and even created this hospital controlled by rules.)


    (You feel a heavy emotional burden.)


    (Your heart stings with pain.)

 Chapter 32: Inner Thoughts of "I"

    <h4>Chapter 32: Inner Thoughts of "I"</h4>


    (Your heart stings with pain.)


    (This diary seems to possess a certain kind of magic. Despite its vaguenguage, you can genuinely feel the agonizing emotions of "I.")


    (You overturn all your previous spections about "I.")


    (The reason you saw the folding bed as a cardboard box is that you haven''t fully immersed yourself in the role until now.)


    (Since you arrived in this world, you have always approached everything from the perspective of an observer, as an Earthling. You have never experienced the emotions of the characters in this world.)


    ("It" is impossible for "I" to view the natives as pets nor have "I" considered herself a pet. "I" is someone who harbors serious doubts about her own identity.)


    (Put yourself in her shoes.)


    (Imagine that on Earth, you are an intelligent chimpanzee. Your mother teaches you to write and teaches you about "dignity," "freedom," and "love.")


    (You begin to think like a human, believing that you are just like your mother, a human.)


    (Until one day, your mother sells you.)


    (Humans tell you that you''re not human, that you''re just an animal, a chimpanzee.)


    (Chimpanzees don''t have "dignity" or "freedom.")


    (You are merely a ything of humans.)


    (You are merely an experimental subject of humans.)


    (Your mother doesn''t truly love you; she is only interested in finding out if humans can train a chimpanzee to understand and speak humannguage.)


    (In the end, you will grow old alone, used by others, as a tool for showcasing their scientific achievements.)


    (Because of you, it''s highly likely that your fellow chimpanzees will also suffer the pain you once endured.)


    (That''s the story the entire dungeon world wants to convey.)


    (Humans in the dungeon world are like chimpanzees on Earth.)


    (And the native inhabitants are the true rulers of the dungeon world.)


    (Just like "I," in the eyes of the natives, you are nothing more than a slightly intelligent chimpanzee.)


    (You finally calm down your emotions.)


    (You continue searching in the small box and find a box of pills underneath the diary.)


    (There are nobels on the box, only blood-written hints left by "I.")


    (<i>"Eat them."</i>)


    (You open the box and find three red pills inside.)


    (You take one pill and swallow it.)


    (You feel a burning sensation throughout your body, and in an instant, you transform into a hairy monster.)


    (You haven''t lost your rationality; you feel that your strength and speed have greatly increased.)


    (You run wildly.)


    (You encounter a member of the Security Department.)


    (You engage in a fight with the Security Department.)


    (Astonishingly, you subdue the Security Department member, but you also sustain significant injuries.)


    (You remove the Security Department member''s mask.)


    (Soon, more members of the Security Department appear around you.)


    (They punch and kick you, even using electric batons to strike you.)


    (You fiercely resist, but it''s difficult to fight off multiple attackers.)


    (You want to test your own limits.)


    (Your body is covered in wounds, but you manage to escape from the encirclement.)


    (The Security Department personnel call for the help of the Elephant Repairman.)


    (The Repairman raises arge hammer and smashes it onto your calf bone.)


    (You fall to the ground, locked in a struggle with the Repairman.)


    (You are unable to match the strength of the Repairman, but your power is at least twice what it was before.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a wave of weakness and fatigue.)


    (You transform back into your human form.)


    (The Repairman''s hammeres crashing down, shattering your head into pieces.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and quietly rubbed his temples.


    On the underground second floor, there is a pill that can temporarily transform him into a monster, but there are only three pills avable, and each pill''s effectsts only about three to five minutes.


    This is a non-renewable resource, and Gu Yi needs to allocate it carefully. He used the pill on the spot during the deduction earlier just to test its performance.


    "Alright, let''s begin!"


    Gu Yi''s eyes sparkled as he walked out of the toilet.


    With so many deductions, it took Gu Yi less than ten minutes to sessfully reach the hidden room in the second basement.


    After obtaining the bottle of pills and diary of "I", the system also issued a prompt.


    <i>"You have found the important item [Bloody Words Diary]."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration degree has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 31%."</i>


    <i>"Your talent skill level has increased."</i>


    <i>"You have gained a new ability, deduction backtracking!"</i>


    <i>"You can select any time point from the previous deduction to backtrack and explore. Mental energy consumption is halved during backtracking."</i>


    <i>Backtracking?</i>


    <i>This seems like a nice ability.</i>


    Gu Yi didn''t have time to experiment with his new ability. He quickly left the basement and returned to the first floor.


    The free roaming time was over, and Gu Yi went to the cafeteria to eat as usual.


    Gu Yi nced at the pig-headed chef, contemting whether he needed to acquire their mask, but in the end, he gave up on the idea.


    The chef had always been on the ground floor, and the pig mask might not be very useful when exploring the two basements.


    Instead of focusing on the pig-headed mask, it would be better to concentrate on acquiring the elephant mask and the dog-headed mask.


    With these two masks, Gu Yi wouldn''t be suspected no matter where he appeared.


    Now, Gu Yi had the red pills, so he should have enough power to take the elephant mask from the general affairs room on the third floor.


    The best time to obtain the elephant mask would be midnight.


    Gu Yi quietly stayed in the ward until midnight, and then he opened his eyes.


    "Begin deduction."


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You crawl out of bed, startling Xu Nian.)


    (Xu Nian expresses concern for you, but you reassure him with a few words and skillfully change into the doctor''s attire.)


    (You walk through the corridor and arrive on the third floor.)


    (The dean''s office on the third floor is dark, indicating that the dean isn''t at the office today.)


    (You make your way to the administration office through the venttion duct.)


    (There are two unattended elephant masks on the table.)


    (You take out a red pill and swallow it. You transform into a monster.)


    (You sessfully pick up the elephant mask and put it on your face.)


    (You feel that the mask doesn''t weigh much on your face.)


    (Wearing the mask, you search the office and finally find the maintenance worker''s manual.)


    ([Maintenance Worker''s Manual])


    (1. Always wear the elephant mask during work to significantly enhance your strength.)


    (2. Sometimes, you may encounter strange creatures on the equipment. If you do, immediately strike them down.)


    (3. If youe across malfunctioning equipment, strike it twice with a hammer.)


    (4. Behind the crematorium on the first basement, there is a master key. Borrow it and return it promptly.)


    (5. After work, please leave the mask in the office and do not disclose any work-rted information after leaving the workce.)


    (6. Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are payday. Please go to the dean''s office on time to collect your sry.)

 Chapter 33: The Doll in the Secret Room (1)

    <h4>Chapter 33: The Doll in the Secret Room (1)</h4>


    (The maintenance worker''s manual is very short and doesn''t contain any strange or strict rules.)


    (The hospital''s HR department once mentioned that all maintenance workers[repairmen] are outsourced, so the hospital has the fewest rules for them.)


    (Not only that, but this manual also provides information on the Dean''s movement patterns.)


    (On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the Dean will inevitably appear in the Dean''s office. Tomorrow happens to be Sunday, so the Dean will definitely be at the hospital.)


    (You specte that the Dean may always be hiding in a corner of the hospital because you have only seen the Dean''s car enter the hospital but never leave.)


    (Wearing the mask, you leave the office and walk straight down the stairs.)


    (Your clothes effectively conceal your ck fur, and no one questions why you''re wandering around the hospital.)


    (You arrive at the underground first floor and find the master key behind the crematorium.)


    (The effect of the red pill is wearing off, so you take off the mask and find that it doesn''t have much weight since you put it on.)


    (Easily, you conceal the elephant mask inside your kangaroo pants.)


    (You put on the deer-head mask, holding the key, and walk to the end of the second basement [level-2].)


    (You stand at the entrance of the Dean''s office.)


    (Using the key, you unlock the golden lock at the entrance of the Dean''s office, sessfully opening the door.)


    (A groanes from inside the office.)


    (With courage, you step into the room but see no one.)


    (The office is arranged exactly like the one on the third floor, but there are no books on the surrounding bookshelves.)


    (You take off the deer-head mask.)


    (The scenery in the office immediately changes.)


    (The bookshelves are now filled with many books, but all the book covers are made of human skin.)


    (The floor is painted with fresh blood, the tables and chairs are made of human skeletons, and the walls are decorated with heads made from human remains.)


    (You force yourself to remain calm, resisting the Unspeakable''s mental assault.)


    (You approach the desk.)


    (Theputer on the desk remains on, disying several words in a blood-red font.)


    (<i>"Wee."</i>)


    (The keyboard''s keycaps are all made of human teeth, and you dare not make any sudden movements.)


    (Painful groans echo once again.)


    (You follow the direction of the sound, which seems to being from behind the bookshelf.)


    (You suppress your disgust and examine the bookshelf.)


    (All the books are written in English, except for one book in Chinese.)


    (You push that book.)


    (The bookshelf opens to the sides.)


    (A hidden room appears before you.)


    (A woman is bound in the secret room, struggling incessantly.)


    (The woman''s eyes are empty, and she has no lower jaw. She keeps her head lowered, with her snow-white hair dragging on the ground.)


    (In front of the woman, there is a doll sitting obediently on herp, and it''s the doll that emits the painful groans.)


    (Doll: Save me!)


    (You: Who are you?)


    (Doll: Save me!)


    (You: Mother?)


    (Upon hearing this title, the doll immediately closes its mouth. The woman behind suddenly lifts her head and stares at you with her hollow eye sockets.)


    (Doll: Are you Toto? No, you''re not.)


    (You: I''m a friend of Toto''s.)


    (Doll: How is Toto now?)


    (You: Think about your current situation, and I believe you can easily guess how Toto is doing.)


    (Doll: It''s that man. He ruined Toto and me!)


    (The doll screams hysterically, and the woman behind her goes mad as well. She tears out her own hair and throws it on the ground, but it quickly grows back.)


    (You: I''m here to help you.)


    (Doll: You can''t help me. You will only harm me and my daughter!)


    (You: I can, as long as you can tell me the truth.)


    (Doll: You must be the spy sent by that devil. You want to continue harming us, mother and daughter, don''t you?)


    (The doll lets out a piercing scream, and you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your heart, as if you''re about to die at any moment. You quickly take out the deer-head mask from your pocket and put it on.)


    (The screaming subsides.)


    (You look up and see the empty secret room, with only a worn-out cloth doll on the floor.)


    (You reach out and pick up the cloth doll.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and grimly clutched his heart.


    Even though he had exited the deduction state, he still felt suffocated.


    The power of the doll was no less potent than the unspeakable''s mental contamination. Even though he only nced at the doll, he still couldn''t calm down.


    This death came too suddenly.


    Gu Yi didn''t even understand why he died.


    "Another new puzzle?"


    Gu Yiy on the bed, calmly contemting.


    The second basement''s Dean''s office must be a reflection of the real office.


    Inside the office''s secret room was a strange woman who was clearly the mother of "I" and also clearly deceased. Under the influence of the Unspeakable''s force, she became a vengeful spirit, living in the second basement.


    The mental contamination in the second basement was so severe, probably half of it was due to the mother.


    Furthermore, only when he didn''t wear a mask could he see<strong></strong>the mother of "I".


    If he wore the deer-head mask, he couldn''t see the mother of "I", but if he attempted to pick up the doll on the ground, it would immediately trigger a death g.


    <i>Could it be that wearing different masks would trigger different oues?</i>


    Gu Yi pondered for a while.


    He had just gained the ability to backtrack deductions, which provided an opportunity to experiment.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand at the entrance of the secret room.)


    (You push open the door.)


    (The doll is screaming hysterically.)


    (You put on the bird beak mask.)


    (Doll: Doctor? Are you Dr. Gui?)


    (You: Yes, ma''am.)


    (Doll: How is my daughter? Is she okay?)


    (You: Your daughter has a severe illness and psychological issues. She needs immediate hospitalization for treatment.)


    (Doll: Psychological issues? Hahaha... You''re lying to me, aren''t you? You know what she is, you''re lying to me.)


    (You: I don''t understand what you mean. Could you be more clear?)


    (Doll: She and us are different. We are superior beings, she is an inhuman creature. How could an animal get sick? And especially a psychological illness?)


    (You: She''s not human?)


    (Doll: Of course, she''s not human. Why are you pretending to be confused with me? Where is that man? I want to see that man, I want to kill him!)


    (The doll roars angrily, jumps down from the woman''s thigh, and pounces on you.)


    (You struggle with all your might.)


    (The doll punches your ribs, crushing them, and digs out your heart.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction ends!)

 Chapter 34: The Doll in the Secret Room (2)

    <h4>Chapter 34: The Doll in the Secret Room (2)</h4>


    "Another riddle for me to guess?"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and scratched his head in distress.


    The doll''s words made no sense at all, often evading the actual question.


    Gu Yi had already figured out most of the story about "I" and her mother, but even so, he couldn''t extract any more information from her mother.


    There were still the Kangaroo Head mask and Elephant Head mask left to try.


    Perhaps this time, there would be a different oue?


    Gu Yi''s current mental power was 35/50, and during the second deduction, he only spent 5 mental power, greatly improving his deduction efficiency and saving mental energy consumption.


    "Backtracking!"


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You are standing in front of the door to the secret room.)


    (You push the door open.)


    (The doll is screaming hysterically.)


    (You put on the kangaroo mask.)


    (You: Ma''am, please calm down.)


    (Doll: Are you here to deliver something to me?)


    (You: Yes, may I ask for your name...)


    (Doll: I... I forgot.)


    (You: What about Toto? Do you know her?)


    (Doll: Toto? Toto is my daughter.)


    (You: Where is Toto now?)


    (Doll: She... No, you''re not a delivery person. Who are you?)


    (You: I am the delivery person. Here''s a letter for Toto.)


    (Doll: Who sent it?)


    (You: Chongshan Hospital.)


    (Doll: How is that possible? How is that possible? She''s been dead for a long time. Who would deliver something to her? Ah...)


    (The doll lets out a piercing scream.)


    (Blood starts streaming from your ears.)


    (You gradually lose consciousness.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and pondered for a moment.


    The kangaroo person was just an ordinary delivery worker and would not have much interaction with the mother of "I". Trying tomunicate with the kangaroo mask would surely lead to no progress.


    <i>If it were the elephant mask...</i>


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You are standing in front of the door to the secret room.)


    (You push the door open.)


    (The doll is screaming hysterically.)


    (You put on the elephant mask.)


    (The doll bes even more agitated after seeing your face.)


    (Doll: It''s you! You killed my child!)


    (You: You''ve mistaken me.)


    (Doll: I can''t be mistaken. My daughter was hiding under the treatment pod, and you crushed her like a little bug. You have nopassion. You are a monster, just like everyone in Chongshan Hospital. Monsters!)


    (The doll flies at you and snaps your neck.)


    (Everything turns pitch ck.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi pinched his nose and sighed with lingering fear.


    Now, the identity of the doll has been confirmed. This fellow is indeed the mother of "I".


    The true cause of death of "I" is also almost certain. "I" was mistaken for a bug and beaten to death by the elephant repairman.


    <i>--Just like the scene of my own death in a previous deduction.</i>


    However, there are some parts of this that are not quite believable and can only be taken as temporary references.


    The main reasons are these two points:


    1. The doll''s mental state is very poor, and she is likely speaking nonsense. Gu Yi can only believe half of what she says.


    2. ording to the Bloody Diary, "I" has reached some kind of cooperation with the "Unspeakable." It shouldn''t be easy for the elephant repairman to just beat "I" to death.


    Furthermore, as soon as the doll saw him for the first time, she immediately mistook him for "I."


    This led Gu Yi toe up with a bolder spection.


    <i>--Actually, the role he is ying is an entirely different species, not belonging to the patients or medical staff, but belonging to the same species as "I."</i>


    Therefore, when he asked Dr. Li if "I am of the same kind as them," he responded with "yes and no."


    The character he is ying may have severe cognitive impairments, to the point where he sees all species as humans and uses different masks to distinguish between them.


    At the same time, he may possess powerful mimicry abilities, like a Ditto that can transform into any other species.


    All the clues in the hospital are sufficient to support this theory.


    "Yes, that''s it."


    Gu Yi clenched his fist, feeling that he had reasoned out the truth about his own identity.


    Although he didn''t know what significance this conclusion held, Gu Yi was confident that it would be useful in the future.


    Gu Yi decided not to explore the underground secret room any further.


    The doll in "I''s mother''s" hands must also be an important prop, but with the clues and items he currently had, it seemed insufficient to obtain the doll.


    He would temporarily set aside the puzzle of "I''s mother" for now and focus on stealing the elephant mask.


    Following the path deduced earlier, Gu Yi sessfully reached the third-floor office. He took out a red pill and swallowed it, then sessfully picked up the elephant mask and ced it in his kangaroo pants.


    Previously, Gu Yi had conducted an experiment.


    As long as he could pick up the elephant mask, even if he no longer transformed into a monster, he could still continue wearing the mask.


    Gu Yi hid in a corner of the office and searched around.


    In the back of the office, he found arge package of toolboxes.


    There were a total of ten toolboxes, all hidden in the farthest corner of the office, covered in dust as if they had never been used. Inside, there were various tools, but each one was extremely heavy, making it difficult for him to lift even when he transformed into a monster.


    Gu Yi put on the elephant mask.


    Now he could sessfully pick up the tools from the toolbox.


    After contemting for a while, Gu Yi eventually took out all the items from the toolbox, hiding them all in his kangaroo pants. No one knew if these items would be useful in the end, but having them on hand was better than not having them.


    Gu Yi restored the toolbox and suddenly felt a pang in his heart. He leaned against the wall, panting, waiting for the effect of the medicine to subside and transform back into his human form.


    One of the three red pills had been used up.


    Gu Yi felt a pain in his chest. He unbuttoned his shirt and looked down.


    There was a patch of ck fur on his chest. Clearly, using the red pills had severe side effects, elerating his mutation process.


    "Tsk... If I''m not mistaken, if I consume the third red pill, I mightpletely transform into a monster and not be able to return," Gu Yi murmured.


    The elephant mask was a crucial item that Gu Yi absolutely needed, and he couldn''t think of a second way to obtain it besides taking the pills.


    The remaining two red pills could only be used in extremely dire situations.


    <i>Dadadada...</i>


    Footsteps could be heard outside the door.


    Gu Yi''s face turned pale as he quickly hid in a corner, listening carefully.


    At least two people were passing by in the corridor outside.


    <i>Could it be the repairmening?</i>


    <i>No, it''s not right. Today isn''t a payday, so they should have left the hospital already!</i>


    "Brother, stop it!"


    A deep voice came from outside the corridor.


    Gu Yi''s heart skipped a beat¡ªthis voice was unmistakably the voice of the shop owner.

 Chapter 35: Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 35: Brothers</h4>


    Gu Yi clenched his teeth and immediately used his deduction ability.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You crawl on the ground and approach the door to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.)


    (The Dean remains silent, while the Shop owner''s voice trembles.)


    (Shop owner: Your ambition is growing. Everyone in the hospital is trapped because of you, unable to leave. How long will you continue?)


    (Dean: You don''t understand.)


    (The Dean opens the office door and walks in.)


    (The Shop owner follows suit.)


    (You can no longer hear their voices.)


    (You crawl into the Dean''s office from the venttion duct above. You cautiously lie in the duct, afraid to make any noise.)


    (The Dean sits in front of theputer, typing on the keyboard. The Shop owner stands across from him.)


    (Shop owner: How long has it been since youst visited Yao Yao? She came to the hospital looking for you, but you wouldn''t even spend some time with her. You just asked me to take care of her?)


    (Dean: Enough, stop talking about it.)


    (Shop owner: I don''t want to do your dirty work of buying and selling Petz anymore.)


    (Dean: Why?)


    (Shop owner: I feel like this situation has gone out of our control. Your research itself goes against thews of nature.)


    (Dean: It''s not your ce toment on that.)


    (Shop owner: Anyway... I don''t want to do it anymore unless you kill me.)


    (Dean: You''re my brother, so I never wanted to use that kind of power against you. Don''t push me.)


    (The Shop owner sneers and takes out a gun from his pocket, pointing it at his own chin and pulling the trigger.)


    (You widen your eyes in shock and cover your mouth to prevent yourself from making any noise.)


    (The Dean is so frightened that he falls to his knees beside the Shop owner.)


    (Blood spills on the floor as the Shop owner''s body twitches and then goes still.)


    (The Dean touches the Shop owner''s mask, seemingly checking for any damage.)


    (He quickly takes out a pen and paper and writes down new rules.)


    (The Unspeakable''s shadow appears behind the Dean, and the power of the ruleses into effect. The Shop owner, dead, rises from the ground.)


    (Shop owner: What have you done?)


    (Dean: Don''t do something foolish. Within the confines of my hospital, as long as the mask is undamaged, my employees won''t die.)


    (Shop owner: You...)


    (Dean: Since you don''t listen to me, I can only use the power of the rules to restrain you. I just added a rule in the hospital¡ªsuicide is prohibited.)


    (Shop owner: Damn it!)


    (Dean: Leave my office. Don''t think you can threaten me with death. I won''t give up until I achieve my goal.)


    (The Shop owner screams hysterically, but the Dean ignores him. The Shop owner seems somewhat desperate, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes, and leaves the Dean''s office.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi hid next to the Dean''s office, silently waiting for something.


    As expected, a gunshot rang out.


    Gu Yi covered his ears, closed his eyes, and recalled the scene of the Shop owner''s brain sttering and his resurrection from the ground.


    <i>[Within the hospital, as long as the mask is undamaged, people won''t die.]</i>


    Gu Yi had deduced this rule long ago, and the Dean confirmed it with his own words, solidifying the spection.


    In the hospital, anyone wearing a mask has a significant weakness.


    Destroying their mask will result in their demise.


    However, the Dean, his daughter, and the patients, like Gu Yi himself, don''t wear masks.


    This detail has always puzzled Gu Yi.


    ording to his previous conclusion, different masks represent different species.


    So, are the Dean, his daughter, and the patients actually the same species?


    Gu Yi''s mind became confused once again. The conclusion he had just established not only failed to rify his thoughts but also presented him with moreplex puzzles.


    The sound of the Shop owner mming the door resounded.


    Gu Yi sat in the corner, contemting for a while. He felt that the pig mask might not be as useless as he initially thought.


    Indeed, he couldn''t skip any steps and had to collect all the masks that appeared in the hospital.


    Gu Yi waited in the corner for a long time until the Dean also turned off the lights and left. He then retraced his steps and returned to the ward, lying down.


    ...


    A night passed without any words.


    Gu Yi had started to adapt to the regted life in the hospital.


    Morning rounds, taking medicine, vomiting medicine, breakfast.


    If it weren''t for the constant pain in his chest, he would almost forget that he was still in a Weird world dungeon.


    This ce wasn''t the real world.


    This was a Weird world controlled by the Unspeakable.


    Gu Yi rubbed his temples and nearly lost himself.


    Even now, if he didn''t take the medication, he would still see hallucinations in the hallway¡ªblood dripping from the ceiling and the sound of barking dogs everywhere. It had pushed his sanity to the brink of copse.


    Gu Yi walked into the restroom and washed his face. Taking advantage of the solitude, he unbuttoned his clothes.


    In the mirror, his chest had been upied by ck fur.


    Yesterday night, it was only the size of a palm, but now it had grown to the size of two palms.


    He touched his chin and noticed that his beard seemed to be growing faster than usual.


    Multiple deductions had elerated the erosion of his mind.


    He made a rough calction and realized that if he couldn''t unravel all the mysteries within a week, he wouldpletely lose himself.


    "Calm down, Gu Yi. Stay calm."


    Gu Yi dressed again and gently tapped his own cheek.


    Now his plot progress had unlocked thirty percent, so what was difficult about unlocking the remaining seventy percent in a week?


    He was certain he could do it!


    Stabilizing his emotions, Gu Yi arrived at the square.


    The other patients were engrossed in their own activities, and only Gu Yi approached the entrance of the small shop.


    "Good morning, Shop owner."


    "Hmm."


    The Shop owner looked at Gu Yi with ack of enthusiasm and nodded.


    Pointing to the Shop owner''s chin, Gu Yi asked with concern, "How did you get that injury on your chin?"


    "Don''t ask, there''s nothing to say."


    "Fine." Gu Yi nodded. "Today, I want to buy a mask."


    "A mask? What kind of mask?"


    "A pig mask. I just saw you received a new batch, and there were pig masks among them."


    "What do you need it for?"


    "Just give it to me."


    "You can''t afford it."


    "Then let''s make a bet."


    Gu Yi ced his hand on the Shop owner''s crate, his eyes shining with confidence. "I want to bet with you, and the wager will be a pig mask."


    "I can refuse you. I don''t want to bet with you."


    The Shop owner pushed Gu Yi away and prepared to move the crates.


    With a sweeping motion, Gu Yi grabbed the Shop owner''s cor. "Don''t you want your brother to stop? Bet with me, and if I win back that mask, I can save everyone."

 Chapter 36: Rock, Paper, Scissors

    <h4>Chapter 36: Rock, Paper, Scissors</h4>


    The shop owner blinked.


    "What rumors have you heard?" he asked.


    "You don''t need to worry about that. You just need to make a bet with me," Gu Yi replied.


    "If we''re really going to bet, I won''t let you back down," the shop owner''s eyes gleamed. "If you lose, I''ll kill you. Are you sure you want to bet with me?"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You open your eyes and nod firmly.)


    (Shop owner: Good, let''s make the bet. I''m busy now, and don''t have time to y cards with you, so let''s make it simpler.)


    (You: What are we betting on?)


    (Shop owner: Rock-paper-scissors. Best of three, two wins.)


    (You: Is it that... simple?)


    (Shop owner: You don''t have time to back out now.)


    (You: Alright, let''s do it.)


    (You and the shop owner y rock-paper-scissors.)


    (You lose two rounds in a row.)


    (The shop owner takes out a gun and shoots you in the head.)


    (Everything turns blood red before your eyes.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "What the hell?"


    <i>Could it be that my luck is really bad?</i>


    "Are you in or not?"


    "Hold on!"


    Ignoring the shop owner''s urging, Gu Yi continued the deduction.


    Since the previous deduction was too short and he couldn''t activate the backtracking, so he decided to spend 10 mental energy points to start a new deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You ept the shop owner''s bet invitation.)


    (Shop owner: I''m busy now and don''t have time to y cards with you, so let''s make it simpler. Rock-paper-scissors, best of three, two wins.)


    (You: Alright, let''s do it.)


    (You throw scissors, and the shop owner throws rock.)


    (A drop of sweat drips down your forehead.)


    (You: Wait a moment.)


    (Shop owner: What''s wrong?)


    (You: Put on a blindfold and cover your eyes.)


    (Shop owner: Pfft, fine. But for fairness, you have to blindfold yourself too.)


    (You: No problem.)


    (You and the shop owner put on blindfolds.)


    (You feel that the shop owner''s hand-eye coordination is better than yours, which is why he can make the final move and defeat you each time.)


    (You, shop owner: Rock-paper-scissors.)


    (Shop owner: Are you ready?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Shop owner: Let''s take off the blindfolds then.)


    (You throw rock, and the shop owner throws paper.)


    (The shop owner sneers and pulls out a gun, shooting you in the head.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the shop owner in astonishment.


    The shop owner also looked at him with surprise. "What''s wrong? Why do you look so pale?"


    "It''s nothing," Gu Yi shook his head and continued the deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You close your eyes and ponder for a moment.)


    (Rock-paper-scissors is simply a game of luck. If there is any skill involved, it would be hand-eye coordination.)


    (But just now in the previous deduction, both the shop owner and you had eyes closed, ruling out that possibility.)


    (Could it be that the shop owner''s luck is really off the charts?)


    (Shop owner: What''s wrong with you?)


    (You: Nothing. I want to bet with you.)


    (Shop owner: Since you insist, let''s make it simpler. Rock-paper-scissors, best of three, two wins.)


    (You: Wait, I want to y five rounds, three wins.)


    (Shop owner: It doesn''t matter how many rounds we y, are you sure?)


    (You: I''m sure.)


    (You nod. You have to y multiple times to figure out how the shop owner is cheating.)


    (You lose two rounds in a row.)


    (Shop owner: It''s yourst chance now.)


    (You: Can you read minds?)


    (Shop owner: Hmph, even if I can, what can you do about it?)


    (Your mental strength is powerful enough. You empty your mind and enter an unconscious state to y rock-paper-scissors with the shop owner again.)


    (You still lose.)


    (Shop owner: Sorry, little buddy. You used to be a great card yer.)


    (The shop owner takes out a gun.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and stared at the shop owner.


    The shop owner blinked, looking puzzled. "Have I offended you in any way? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "I understand your tricks," Gu Yi said.


    "What?"


    "Let''s get to the point. I want to make a bet with you. If I win, I''ll take away a pig head mask."


    "Fine, I have other things to do, no time to y cards with you. Let''s make it simpler. Rock-paper-scissors, best of three, two wins."


    "No need for best of three, let''s decide with just one round."


    "Are you sure?"


    The shop owner looked in surprise at Gu Yi.


    "I''m sure, let''s do it."


    "Alright."


    Gu Yi throws scissors.


    The shop owner throws paper.


    One round determined the oue.


    The shop owner looked at Gu Yi in astonishment and asked, "How is this possible? You clearly intended to throw rock."


    "You can read my mind in the instant I make my move, right? Even if I empty my mind, the moment I throw, you can immediately tell what I intended to throw."


    "That''s right."


    "So, I hypnotized myself," Gu Yi said while making a scissor gesture. "I told myself that this is not scissors, it''s rock. And you fell for it."


    "How is that possible? Normal people can''t change their habits so easily after decades."


    "Because I''m not a normal person."


    Gu Yi smiled.


    After gaining the ability of unlimited deduction, Gu Yi''s mental strength is no longerparable to that of a normal person. He almost instantly mastered the technique of psychological suggestion.


    Gu Yi yed one round with the shop owner to avoid him changing strategies immediately after knowing his trick.


    As long as he seeds in stealing the win once, he won''t need to take risks anymore.


    The shop owner sighed and couldn''t hide his admiration for Gu Yi in his eyes. "You''re truly amazing."


    "It''s just luck."


    "Come with me."


    The shop owner led Gu Yi to the shop''s warehouse and found an unopened pig head mask among a pile of misceneous items, handing it to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi took the mask and curiously asked, "Why doesn''t this mask have an instruction manual?"


    "This is not an ordinary mask. It''s the first mask handmade by Toto herself."


    "Who is Toto?"


    Gu Yi pretended not to know.


    "She is an Unspeakable presence in this hospital, but please remember, she is yourpatriot. That''s all I can say. Go ahead, open it, and take a look."


    Gu Yi nodded and opened the packaging of the pig head mask.


    The mask looked lifelike as if it were really sewn from a pig''s head.


    Gu Yi looked left and right, finally finding a line of bloody words inside the lining of the mask.


    <i>"Everything has a hidden price."</i>


    <i>"Remember, there''s no such thing as a free lunch."</i>


    <i>"Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences. It''s the only principle you need to abide by."</i>

 Chapter 37: The Dean Takes Action

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Dean Takes Action</h4>


    <i>"You have obtained an important item: [Toto''s Handcrafted Mask]."</i>


    <i>"Your storyline exploration has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is at 51%."</i>


    <i>"You can choose one reward from the following three options."</i>


    <i>"1. Increase upper limit of mental power by 10 points."</i>


    <i>"2. Increase mental power recovery rate by 10%."</i>


    <i>"3. Increase resistance to mental erosion by 10%."</i>


    Upon hearing the system prompt, Gu Yi couldn''t help but take a sharp breath.


    A single mask provided 20% exploration progress, indicating how extraordinary it was.


    As for the three options, Gu Yi chose the third one without hesitation. He had already realized the importance of resistance to mental erosion. In the end, he would have to face the Unspeakable, and without a high resistance, it would be difficult.


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi nodded to the shop owner and left with the pig-head mask in hand.


    After finishing the free activities, having lunch, he returned to his hospital room.


    Gu Yi hid in his room and put on the mask.


    This mask was obviously different from the others. As soon as he put it on, Gu Yi heard some meaningless murmurs. It seemed that the will of "I" still lingered on the pig-head mask.


    Lying on the bed, Gu Yi began to Deduct with the pig-head mask on.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You walk out of the hospital room.)


    (You feel freer than ever before. No one questions or interrogates you on the road. You can even confidently use the staff elevator in the kitchen.)


    (Whenever you concentrate, you can see what a person is currently thinking.)


    (It turns out that the shop owner''s mind-reading ability relies on the pig-head mask. The pig-headed people have always been involved in the sales process, thanks to this special ability.)


    (The mind-reading ability can be used every ten minutes and can only be used consecutively three times.)


    (To sessfully activate the mind-reading ability, you must ask specific questions; otherwise, it won''t work.)


    (After thinking for a while, you decide to deceive someone and obtain a dog-head mask,pleting the collection of all the masks in the hospital.)


    (You find a security personnel.)


    (He is staring at the hospital map absentmindedly. You immediately activate the pig-head mask''s ability and ask what the security personnel fears the most.)


    (The pig-head mask''s ability activates.)


    (You see in your mind the door to Room 0 and a gigantic spider hanging from the ceiling.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (The security personnel won''t break the rules, so it''s impossible to make themmit a crime and be sent to Room 0.)


    (Therefore, you must use a different bait to lure the security personnel.)


    (When the deer-headed person is threatened, the security personnel will appear immediately. If you can trick the deer-headed person into entering Room 0, can you then trap the security personnel?)


    (You steal the master key from the underground floor and head to the treatment room on the second floor.)


    (Using the pig-head mask, you easily gain the trust of a deer-headed person.)


    (You bring him to the entrance of Room 0.)


    (You: Once you go in, you''ll see the best Petz in our hospital.)


    (The deer-headed person nods and enters the room.)


    (You quickly close the door and hide outside, watching the spectacle.)


    (Screamse from inside the room.)


    (Shortly after, another man''s screamse from inside.)


    (You quickly open the door and walk in.)


    (The giant spider has already eaten the deer-headed person, and the security personnel has been severely injured.)


    (The spider turns its head upon hearing your voice.)


    (You smash a ss bottle and release a live toad.)


    (The toad extends its tongue, entangling the spider.)


    (The giant spider immediately shrinks to normal size and is swallowed by the toad.)


    (You remove the mask from the security personnel''s face.)


    (Suddenly, footsteps can be heard outside the door.)


    (You turn your head, and four or five security personnel appear behind you.)


    (Security personnel: You... you''ve destroyed Room 0?)


    (The security personnel looks at you in shock, unable to speak.)


    (You suddenly remember something.)


    (All the security personnel considered Room 0 to be the only form of punishment, and now that the spider inside Room 0 has been destroyed by you, the rules do not specify how to handle someone who vites thew after the spider''s death.)


    (Hence, all the security personnel are shocked and at a loss for what to do.)


    (You collect the mask, swallow a red pill, transform into a monster, and easily break through the security personnel''s blockade.)


    (Your mental power has be stronger. Even after transforming into a monster, your power has be even greater than before.)


    (You have collected all the masks, feeling that you are just a step away from the truth.)


    (You decide to go directly to the secret room in the second basement to solve the puzzle.)


    (More security personnele running and block your path.)


    (You easily deal with them.)


    (A Elephant masked person with a hammer approaches.)


    (You also put on the elephant mask and easily defeat the elephant person.)


    (You arrive at the entrance to the second basement''s corridor.)


    (You see the Dean standing in front of you.)


    (The Dean takes out a pen and paper and writes two lines.)


    (A void fills your vision.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "Damn it, I actually forgot about this guy!"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and pped his head hard.


    Throughout the entire time, the Dean and the Unspeakable had always remained hidden, never showing themselves. But this time, the Dean actually took the initiative to intervene and stop him.


    The pen and paper in the Dean''s hand were like a Death Note, capable of killing him with a stroke of the pen.


    With his current power, he had no chance of fighting against the Dean.


    However, one thing had to be rified.


    Did the Deane personally because he knew that Gu Yi had collected all the masks, or was it because of the massacre he had carried out in the basement?


    Gu Yi thought for a while and felt that both possibilities were highly likely.


    But regardless of the reason, he had to find a way to prevent the Dean from personally capturing him.


    Breaking through the encirclement by brute force was impossible. He must have a better solution, a more covert way to obtain the masks.


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and started to deduct once again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You reflect on the lessons learned and decide to change your action strategy.)


    (From the previous deduction, you have a rough understanding of the efficiency and scale of the security department personnel.)


    (When the Deer-headed Man met with the mishap, the security department noticed the anomaly about three secondster and quickly arrived at the scene.)


    (After the security personnel is eliminated, backup personnel arrive in an even shorter time.)


    (You encountered three groups of security department personnel in the basement, with approximately four to five people in each group, meaning a maximum of fifteen personnel of the entire security department team.)


    (Theirbat abilities are not particrly strong. With the red pill consumed, you can easily handle a small group of security department personnel.)

 Chapter 38: The Sudden Death of the Shop Owner

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Sudden Death of the Shop Owner</h4>


    (You deduced that when the security department personnel couldn''t solve the problem, the Elephant Repairman woulde to help.)


    (Originally, there were two elephant people in the hospital, but one of them lost its mask, so now there is only one elephant person left in the hospital.)


    (To deal with the Elephant Repairman, you must wear the elephant mask.)


    (Breaking through with brute force is ast resort.)


    (You cannot use this move until the final stage.)


    (After contemting for a while, you decide to use a fire to attract the attention of the security department.)


    (The security department''s manual states their responsibility to protect the hospital''s property, so they will inevitably go out to rescue the scene in the event of a fire.)


    (A fire can distract the security department''s attention, but at the same time, you must gain the Deer-headed Man''s trust and lure him to Room 0 while attracting the security department personnel to the scene.)


    (You are alone, so how can you aplish this task?)


    (You look at Xu Nian, but quickly dismiss your idea.)


    (If you let Xu Nian start the fire, it could end up killing him, which goes against the rules, and you would also end up dying.)


    (Since you can''t set a fire and lure the Deer-headed Man to Room 0 at the same time, is it feasible to make the spider in Room 0 leave the room?)


    (You are amazed by your bold idea.)


    (You go to the basement and steal the master key.)


    (You sneak into Room 0.)


    (The giant spider res at you.)


    (You take out a live toad.)


    (The spider shrinks back into the corner, frightened.)


    (The toad extends its long tongue and easily sticks it to the spider''s head.)


    (The giant spider immediately shrinks.)


    (The toad retracts its tongue.)


    (Just as the toad is about to swallow the spider, you quickly grab the toad''s tongue and remove the spider from it, putting it into a ss jar.)


    (The spider is inside the jar and about to growrger. You stick the toad on the outside of the jar, and the spider immediately shrinks back to its original size.)


    (Your experiment is sessful.)


    (You tie the toad and the spider together and put them in your kangaroo pants.)


    (Using the staff elevator, you go to the second basement level.)


    (You enter the warehouse and ignite the mmable materials inside.)


    (You return to the first floor kitchen and drop a matchstick into the grease duct of the cafeteria. mes instantly engulf the entire duct.)


    (Two fires erupt and soar into the sky.)


    (Everyone in the hospital is in chaos. By the second minute of the fires, all the security personnel have rushed to the scene and promptly started firefighting.)


    (You quickly run to the second floor.)


    (The Deer-headed Man and the doctors haven''t heard about the fires yet. When the broadcast announces the situation, everyone panics.)


    (A security personnel instantly appears in front of everyone, directing the guests to evacuate in an orderly manner. The doctors and nurses have to stop the treatment of patients.)


    (You hide in a corner, release the toad from the outside of the jar, and throw the jar behind the crowd.)


    (You silently watch the scene.)


    (The spider instantly growsrger, causing panic among everyone.)


    (The security department tries to call for help, but no one responds. Everyone is downstairs fighting the fire and no one can help him.)


    (The spider bites the security personnel to death.)


    (While the spider hasn''t swallowed the security personnel''s body yet, you release the toad again.)


    (The toad devours the spider.)


    (You rush forward and quickly take off the dog mask.)


    (You hear footstepsing up the stairs.)


    (You put everything on your body into your pants, disguising yourself as a patient and blending into the crowd of patients.)


    (The Dean arriveste.)


    (He angrily scolds the uselessness of the security department and rushes downstairs to help with the firefighting.)


    (The fire is quickly brought under control.)


    (You breathe a sigh of relief.)


    (You secretly return to your hospital room.)


    (You hear arguing outside the square.)


    (You lean on the windowsill and look outside.)


    (You see the Dean aiming a gun at the shop owner''s head.)


    (The Dean kills the shop owner.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "Why did I die just like that?"


    Gu Yi sat up in bed, holding his head and carefully recalling.


    <i>Did I unknowingly vite some rules?</i>


    <i>Was it the rule of "cannot stand by while someone dies"?</i>


    <i>Yes, that''s it!</i>


    The Dean must have discovered that the spider suddenly disappeared because someone used the toad to capture it, so he went to the shop owner to interrogate him.


    The shop owner refused to reveal his name, so the Dean killed him in a fit of anger.


    The shop owner already regarded Gu Yi as a partner, and when he died because of Gu Yi, Gu Yi vited the rule of "cannot stand by while someone dies".


    If the shopkeeper hadn''t died and had revealed that he bought the toad, then Gu Yi would definitely have to confront the Dean next, and in the end, there would still be no way out but death.


    <i>This path is not feasible!</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and started deducing again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You lie on the bed, contemting.)


    (Currently, it''s obvious that it''s not yet the right time to use the toad. There must be some other way to lure the security personnel into Room 0.)


    (Once the Dean joins the fight, the whole sequence of events bes very difficult.)


    (You feel that you may have been too hasty.)


    (Now may not be the best time to acquire the dog mask.)


    (Perhaps you should go to the secret room in the second basement again and see what''s going on.)


    (You put on the pig mask and enter the office in the second basement.)


    (This time, the office is slightly different from before.)


    (The keyboard on the desk is being pounded by an invisible pair ofrge hands, making a cking sound.)


    (You put on all the masks, but still cannot see the owner of these hands.)


    (You specte that this office is a shadow of the office on the third floor, and the Dean is currently working in the office on the third floor, which is why the sound of keyboard typing is heard here.)


    (Since this office has a secret room, is it possible that there is also a secret room in the office on the third floor?)


    (You decide to go to the office on the third floor at midnight to explore and verify your spection.)


    (Using the same method asst time, you open the secret room in the office.)


    (The doll is screaming hysterically.)


    (You put on the pig mask.)


    (The doll suddenly stops screaming and looks at you in confusion. The woman behind the doll also looks up, her traumatized face miraculously returning to its former radiance.)


    (The woman speaks, making a sound.)


    (Woman: Who are you? Why do you have my daughter''s belongings? Where did you deceive my daughter to?)


    (You quickly think about it.)


    (Your mask is Toto''s handmade mask, which must hold significant meaning for both the mother and Toto.)


    (The woman speaks, and the doll remains silent, clearly indicating that the mother''s sanity has regained control.)


    (If your answer has even the slightest w, not only will you not obtain new clues, but it may also trigger a death g.)


    (You activate the mask''s ability to inquire about the woman''s deepest desire but receive no answer.)


    (You specte that the woman''s power is too strong, preventing the mind-reading ability of the mask from activating.)


    (You can only try to stabilize the woman''s emotions as much as possible.)


    (You: Your daughter is safe.)


    (Woman: You''re lying!)

 Chapter 39: Mother’s Request

    <h4>Chapter 39: Mother''s Request</h4>


    (You: Your daughter is currently in Chongshan Hospital, and the Dean is keeping her captive.)


    (Woman: Really? Is she suffering? What does he n to do with my daughter?)


    (You were just guessing, but you didn''t expect the woman to actually believe you.)


    (However, from the beginning until now, there have been no clues in the dungeon indicating that "I" have already died, which is why you boldly stated this information.)


    (You: He is using your daughter to carry out some cruel experiment for his own desires and ambitions.)


    (Woman: He''s a madman, a devil!)


    (You: Your daughter gave me this mask and asked me to find you. Can you help me?)


    (Woman: I have already lost my physical body, only this remaining soul is lingering here. I need your help to regain my flesh.)


    (You: Where is your physical body?)


    (Woman: In the Dean''s office.)


    (You: But it''s difficult for me to enter there.)


    (Woman: That manes to see me every day at precisely 3:26 a.m. You can sneak into the Dean''s office at that time. Remember, you must find my physical body within five minutes, or the Dean will return.)


    (You: I understand.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and contemted silently for a moment.


    <i>What would happen if I follow Toto''s mother''s instructions and obtain the so-called "physical body"?</i>


    Although Toto''s mother appearedpletely normal this time, Gu Yi had a vague feeling that even if he obtained her physical body as instructed, he might not gain the desired clues and could even get into a series of troubles.


    From the diary of "I", it was evident that her mother was one of the culprits who led "I" into the pit.


    So far, the blood-written hints given by "I" had yed a crucial role, while her mother had triggered numerous death gs.


    Gu Yi preferred to believe "I" rather than her mother.


    With this in mind, Gu Yi took out the handmade mask of "Toto" and carefully pondered the blood-written hints behind it.


    <i>"Everything has a hidden price."</i>


    <i>"Remember, there''s no such thing as a free lunch."</i>


    <i>"Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences. It''s the only principle you need to abide by."</i>


    The first two sentences seemed to imply something, but Gu Yi didn''t understand their meaning for the time being.


    Thest sentence, however, brought rity to Gu Yi ¡ª his entire progress in the dungeon so far had been proving this statement.


    Because of his genuine care for Yao Yao, he obtained the kangaroo pants.


    Because he befriended the shop owner, the shop owner was unwilling to expose him even when facing death.


    Because he saved Xu Nian, he yed a crucial role in several ns.


    In contrast, when Gu Yi stole Dr. Gui''s mask, although there seemed to be progress on the surface, he faced obstacles at every turn and had to acquire more props topensate.


    Designing the death of the "Deer-headed Man" resulted in Gu Yi suffering in pain, elerating his infection.


    "Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences."


    This statement not only hinted at the evil Dean and the Unspeakable''s final oue but also indicated Gu Yi''s way to progress. The use of violence, theft, robbery, and even murder would only increase the difficulty of progression.


    The first theft attracted the attention of the security department, making it impossible to use the acquired prop.


    The second murder drew the Dean''s attention, resulting in him spending more time in the hospital.


    If Gu Yi resorted to violence for the third time, the Dean would directly intervene, triggering an inevitable fatal oue.


    Even if he made progress through violent means, there would ultimately be only a dead end.


    Perhaps in the eyes of "I", indiscriminate killing was also an evil act. The doctors and security personnel in the hospital were innocent victims and prisoners as well.


    He couldn''t continue causing destruction in the hospital.


    Calmly analyzing the blood-written hints, Gu Yi decided to change his approach and choose a more harmonious method to drive the plot forward, refraining from using violent means.


    Now, the only clue he had was the Dean''s office on the third floor. There was no need to try anything else. He would wait until nighttime and sneak into the Dean''s office as instructed.


    ...


    It''s always best to be concise.


    When it struck 3 a.m., Gu Yi was awakened by his rm clock. He immediately sat up from his bed and activated his talent.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You put on the elephant mask and enter the third floor.)


    (You quietly hide next door, waiting for exactly 3:26. Then you immediately enter the dean''s office through the venttion duct.)


    (Following the instructions to enter the secret room simr to the second basement, you open the door.)


    (Sure enough, there is also a secret room in the corresponding position of the third-floor office.)


    (After opening it, you find only a ck urn on the floor.)


    (You put the urn in your pocket.)


    (You hear the sound of the elevator outside.)


    (The dean must have noticed something unusual.)


    (You quickly retreat the same way you came.)


    (You hide in the adjacent specimen room.)


    (You hear the sound of the dean opening the door.)


    (Moonlight shines on the specimens.)


    (The moonlight giant opens its eyes and stares at you intensely.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "No, that''s not right!"


    Gu Yi shook his head.


    It took Gu Yi less than a minute to steal the urn, but ording to Toto''s mother''s instructions, the dean would need at least five minutes to reach the scene.


    <i>Why did he arrive in two minutes?</i>


    <i>No, something is wrong.</i>


    Instead of considering how he managed to arrive at the scene, it would be better to think about how he discovered himself.


    "Backtrack!"


    (The backtracking begins!)


    (You hide next to the dean''s office.)


    (You find a box and hide it in your kangaroo pants.)


    (You estimate the time and, after hearing the footsteps of the dean leaving, sneak into the dean''s office through the venttion duct.)


    (You follow the previous method and enter the secret room.)


    (You don''t touch the urn; you only take out the ashes and put them into a pre-prepared box.)


    (You leave the secret room.)


    (You return the same way.)


    (You hear the footsteps of the dean, but it has only been two minutes, and the dean has arrived early again.)


    (You immediately hide in the toilet through the venttion duct.)


    (You hide in a toilet stall, waiting quietly.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a chilling sensation on your back.)


    (You lift your head and see the dean''s head appearing above yours. He is leaning against the door frame, smiling at you.)


    (Dean: Finally caught you, you little mouse.)


    (Everything before you turns blood red.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi inhaled sharply.


    Once again, the dean managed to return to his office in less than 2 minutes and sessfully caught him.


    In the previous death scene, the cause of death wasn''t even deduced. It''s highly likely that the dean used the power of the rules to forcefully kill him.


    Clearly, the urn is not the key issue here.


    There must be some detail that he hasn''t considered yet!

 Chapter 40: Retrieving the Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 40: Retrieving the Corpse</h4>


    "Backtracking."


    Gu Yi decided to give it another try.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hide next to the dean''s office.)


    (You think carefully.)


    (Maybe the dean didn''t discover you because you touched the urn, but because he noticed you as soon as you entered his office or the secret room?)


    (This time, you decide to explore carefully to avoid missing any important details.)


    (The dean leaves.)


    (You enter the dean''s office.)


    (You stay there for two minutes and notice that the dean hasn''t returned.)


    (Evidently, you weren''t discovered just by entering the office.)


    (You open the door to the secret room and enter.)


    (You wait for two minutes, but the dean still hasn''te back.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi touched his chin and took a deep breath.


    It seems that the dean can discover him not because he entered the office or the secret room, but because he took the ashes.


    As long as he touches the ashes, the dean will immediately rush back to the office.


    The dean has an inexplicable ability. Rushing back to the office within two minutes is just a matter of moving his fingers.


    As long as he carries the ashes, no matter where he hides, the dean will immediately find him.


    <i>This is an almost unsolvable situation!</i>


    A drop of cold sweat ran down Gu Yi''s forehead, and the pain in his chest intensified, deepening his transformation.


    Gu Yi looked up at the ceiling. Drops of blood fell like rain, and the illusionsted for three minutes before finally disappearing.


    "Phew... Stay calm."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath.


    The lower his mood, the lower the possibility of clearing the dungeon. He must remain calm to eventuallyplete the mission.


    <i>Let''s think carefully. I must have missed some important information.</i>


    "Backtracking."


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hide next to the dean''s office.)


    (Your current situation is terrible, and you can''t think calmly in reality.)


    (You can only rely on your talent to think of countermeasures.)


    (As long as the ashes leave the office, the dean will immediately appear, and you won''t have time to deliver the item to Toto''s mother.)


    (Could it be that you''ve been set up by Toto''s mother? Does stealing the ashes trigger a fatal ending?)


    (You ponder for a while and find it unlikely.)


    (The progress of the dungeon haspletely stopped for now, and the only clue is Toto''s mother. Only by connecting with her mother can the progress continue.)


    (If you try to force the progress with brute force, it will only lead you to a dead end.)


    (You carefully think about every detail, afraid of missing any step.)


    (You remember what Toto''s mother said.)


    (She needs you to find the "physical body," not the "ashes.")


    ("Ashes" and "body" are clearly two different things.)


    (You discover the blind spot.)


    (When you entered the dean''s office, you were always wearing the elephant mask.)


    (If you wear a different mask, you might see different scenes.)


    (You feel enlightened.)


    (The dean leaves the office on time.)


    (You enter the office.)


    (Before opening the door to the secret room, you put on Toto''s handmade mask.)


    (You enter the secret room.)


    (At this moment, the entire room turns blood-red, with the floorposed of wriggling flesh.)


    (Amidst this sea of flesh, you find Toto''s mother''s body.)


    (You hide the body in your kangaroo pants.)


    (You leave the dean''s office and return to your ward.)


    (You silently wait for a while, and the dean indeed does not appear.)


    (Feeling mentally exhausted, you can''t help but want to sleep.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    "Finally, I found the correct way to clear the customs."


    Gu Yi clenched his fist in triumph. This time, it only took him 20 points of mental energy to sessfully deduce the correct method to progress. Backtracking greatly improved his efficiency.


    Following the route from his deduction, he sessfully hid in the room next to the dean''s office.


    When he actually entered the secret room wearing Toto''s mask, he was still shocked by the scene before him.


    The walls of the secret room were constantly pulsating, emitting a chilling "thud" sound that resonated with his heartbeat.


    Gu Yi felt chest pain and suffocation. After enduring the difort, he quickly took out Toto''s mother''s body and swiftly left the office.


    He returned to his ward and exhaustedly closed his eyes.


    ...


    The next morning, Xu Nian woke Gu Yi up.


    As Gu Yi opened his eyes, he saw the doctor and nurse looking at him with anger.


    Gu Yi''s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively reached into his pants to take out the red pill.


    "What are you doing, Gu Yi?" Dr. Li asked. "Did you forget to take your medication again this morning?"


    "Oh, I''m sorry."


    Gu Yi immediately realized his mistake and obediently took his morning medication.


    Dr. Li and the nurse briefly inquired about Gu Yi''s condition and then left the room.


    Gu Yi sat on the edge of his bed, panting heavily. Even now, his heart was still pounding in his throat.


    Xu Nian walked up to Gu Yi, patting his shoulder with concern.


    "I''m fine now."


    Gu Yi grinned and retreated into the restroom.


    When he looked up at the mirror, he saw his face transformed into a hairy monster with blood and chunks of flesh hanging from his mouth. He covered his mouth in horror, barely stopping himself from screaming.


    After a while, his reflection in the mirror returned to normal.


    Multiple deductions and the Unspeakable''s mental erosion made Gu Yi''s symptoms increasingly apparent. He immediately forced himself to vomit the pill and then grabbed a razor, shaving off all the ck hair on his chest.


    "I was lucky this time. The doctor didn''t perform a full-body examination during rounds, or else I would have spent this morning in the operating room."


    Gu Yi shook his head helplessly.


    The human mind has its limits. Under such high-pressure circumstances, Gu Yi was bing exhausted and even making mistakes.


    However, this was also due to the intense mental shock he experienced in the dean''s officest night, which caused him to oversleep inadvertently.


    Gu Yi had his meal as usual.


    During his free time, he hid in the toilet and began another deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You put on Toto''s handmade mask.)


    (You smoothly make your way to the cafeteria''s kitchen and take the staff elevator down to the second basement level.)


    (You arrive in the secret room in the office on the second basement.)


    (The woman looks up as she sees you.)


    (Woman: Who are you? Why do you have my daughter''s mask? What do you want?)


    (You have only encountered the woman during the previous deduction, so she doesn''t recognize you.)


    (You: It doesn''t matter who I am. I have your physical body here, and I can return it to you. But what can you offer me in exchange?)

 Chapter 41: The Deal with I’s Mother (1)

    <h4>Chapter 41: The Deal with I¡¯s Mother (1)</h4>


    (You activated the mind-reading ability of the mask, but it still didn''t work. You realize that it''s because you asked the wrong question.)


    (Woman: I don''t believe you. How do you know where my body is?)


    (You take the woman''s withered corpse out of your kangaroo pants.)


    (The woman''s face changes dramatically.)


    (Woman: Give me back my body, and I can tell you a secret.)


    (You: What secret?)


    (Woman: I can tell you the dean''s weakness. I can tell you how to kill him.)


    (You activate the mind-reading again and ask if the woman is lying.)


    (The mask tells you that the woman is not telling the truth.)


    (You: I know his weakness. I don''t need that information.)


    (Woman: What do you need then?)


    (You think for a moment and point to the doll on the woman''s knee.)


    (The woman is shocked.)


    (Woman: That''s a keepsake from my daughter. I can''t give it to you.)


    (You: Everything has a price.)


    (Woman: Let me think about it.)


    (The woman holds the doll and looks at it for a while.)


    (Woman: I agree to trade with you.)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You ce the woman''s body on the floor.)


    (The woman gets off the chair and hands the doll to you.)


    (You are examining the doll when suddenly you hear a grating sound.)


    (You look up.)


    (The woman opens her mouth and devours her own body.)


    (She turnspletely ck, with only her eyes flickering with red light.)


    (She transforms into a creature covered in ck fur, resembling arger version of Petz.)


    (Woman: Give me back the doll!)


    (The woman lunges at you.)


    (You immediately swallow a red pill and put on the elephant mask.)


    (You are no match for the woman.)


    (She tears you in half.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi sat on the toilet and rubbed his stomach.


    This was probably the most brutal death he had experienced in his deductions. After the woman turned into a monster, she tore him apart like tearing a chicken leg.


    Transforming into a monster and wearing the elephant mask was the strongest form Gu Yi could achieve at the moment, but it still wasn''t enough to defeat the woman.


    "I had a feeling that something was off with this woman."


    Gu Yi regretfully pped his thigh.


    Since this woman was so unreasonable, he had no choice but to resort to some unscrupulous means.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand in front of the secret room''s door.)


    (You put on Toto''s handmade mask and approach the woman.)


    (The woman looks up as soon as she sees you.)


    (Woman: Who are you? Why do you have my daughter''s mask? What do you want?)


    (You: I''m here to negotiate with you.)


    (Woman: Negotiate? What kind of negotiation?)


    (You: I can give you your body.)


    (You take the woman''s corpse out of your kangaroo pants.)


    (As soon as the woman sees her own corpse, she gets excited, and you quickly hide the body.)


    (Woman: Give it to me!)


    (You: I will give it to you, but you must give me the doll you have in your hands. It''s a fair trade.)


    (Woman: Give me the body first, and then I''ll give you the doll.)


    (You: No, you give me the doll first, and then I''ll give you the body.)


    (Woman: You have no right to bargain with me. If you don''t give it to me, I can kill you and still get my body back.)


    (You: If you dare to kill me, I will smash the mask on my face first.)


    (You take out a hammer from your kangaroo pants and ce it on the mask.)


    (The woman screams.)


    (Woman: You can''t do that!)


    (You grin.)


    (Just as you deduced, "I" didn''t actually die, so if you smash the mask, the real "I" will also cease to exist.)


    (Woman: Please don''t do something so extreme. There''s still hope for my daughter''s survival. Please don''t harm her.)


    (You: Then follow my demands. Give me the doll first.)


    (The womanpromises.)


    (She looks at the doll in her hands and uses her own hair to hand it to you.)


    (As soon as she loses the doll, the woman''s face visibly withers.)


    (You inspect the doll but don''t find anything special on it. However, behind the doll, you see a zipper.)


    (You unzip it and find a red ess card inside.)


    (Woman: You... give me my body quickly.)


    (You: Give it to you? Hmph, give it to you and let you kill me? Dream on!)


    (You keep the doll, leave the secret room, and exit the office.)


    (The woman''s heart-wrenching screams echo throughout the office.)


    (You leave the room with the doll in your hands.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You take off the mask.)


    (The mask is shedding tears of blood, and you notice that the same words are written all over the mask.)


    ("Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences..")


    ("Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences.")


    ("Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences.")


    (Your heart starts beating rapidly, just like the feeling you had when you picked up the woman''s corpse in the third-floor office.)


    (You: Why are you punishing me instead of punishing your good mother? Wasn''t she the one whomitted the evil first? If I don''t deceive her, she will kill me!)


    ("Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences.")


    ("Evil deeds have consequences...")


    ("Consequences...")


    (Your sanity copses.)


    (Youpletely transform into a monster.)


    (You die.)


    (Deduction over!)


    "Damn it, whose side is Toto really on?"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again and cursed under his breath.


    The mental shock he experienced during the deduction was too great, and it deepened his contamination in reality. He noticed ck hairs had started to grow on his left wrist.


    Reluctantly shaking his head, Gu Yi closed his eyes again and contemted his next move.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You sit on the toilet, reflecting on the lessons from before.)


    (Obviously, this time, you were punished by "I" for not keeping your promise and transformed into a monster.)


    (This so-called Toto seems to have a kind of obsessivepulsive disorder.)


    (She established this rule with blood-red text, seemingly cursing the dean, but in reality, it restricts your actions.)


    (If you keep doing evil, betray promises, and refuse to save lives, the difficulty of the scenario will increase significantly, and it may even trigger an instant death g.)


    (You furrow your brow and ponder.)


    (You think that you might not have triggered the "evil deeds have consequences" rule.)


    (But this rule subtly influences the difficulty of your progress and wouldn''t immediately result in instant death.)


    (You believe that the true reason for your brutal death is that you didn''t adhere to the Pig Head''s principles, and your behavior didn''t meet the standards of a merchant.)


    (The Pig Head mask represents a merchant in the dungeon world.)


    (The shop owner in the small shop is your best example.)

 Chapter 42: The Deal with I’s Mother (2)

    <h4>Chapter 42: The Deal with I''s Mother (2)</h4>


    (The shop owner in the small shop is your best example.)


    (He would agree on the rules with you in advance, and once both parties agree on the rules, he would never go back on his word. Within the boundaries of the rules, he can cheat, manipte, and exploit, but he would never vite the rules.)


    (Even if he gets caught cheating, he wouldn''t regret or get angry; he would still honor his promise and give you what he had promised, intact.)


    (When you were trading with the woman, you clearly agreed if you get the doll first, you would give her the corpse.)


    (But in the end, you went back on your word.)


    (That''s why you were punished by the rules.)


    (Once again, you find yourself in a dilemma.)


    (Giving the corpse to the woman would drive her to madness and ultimately lead to her killing you.)


    (Not giving the woman the corpse means you cannot obtain the crucial item.)


    (Deceiving the woman would result in instant death due to viting the rules.)


    (You grab your hair and furrow your brow, thinking hard.)


    (You shift your thinking.)


    (<i>Is there any way toplete the trade and avoid being killed?</i>)


    (<i>Give the woman a fake item?</i>)


    (<i>Impossible. The woman would never fail to recognize her own corpse, and you have no way of creating a fake corpse on the spot.</i>)


    (<i>Poison the corpse?</i>)


    (A spark lights up in your mind.)


    (Once the woman receives her corpse, her first reaction is to swallow it. If you can poison the corpse, it will undoubtedly be hundred percent effective.)


    (If you can poison the woman, then you don''t have to worry about her killing you.)


    (Your trade with her is merely giving her the corpse, but if she insists on consuming her own corpse and eventually dies from poisoning, that''s not your concern.)


    (<i>But what kind of poison can kill the woman?</i>)


    (<i>She''s already a ghost, does a ghost fear poison?</i>)


    (You make a bold assumption.)


    (After consuming the corpse, the woman will transform into a creature simr to Petz. So, if you can make her ingest medication intended for patients, it might dy this transformation.)


    (A realization dawns upon you.)


    (You put on the bird beak mask and sneak into the hospital''s pharmacy.)


    (This is the substance you consume three times a day and then vomit three times.)


    (You stuff all the pills into the mouth of the corpse, shaking the corpse''s neck to make sure all the pills fall into its abdomen.)


    (You wear Toto''s mask and return to the secret room in the second basement.)


    (When the woman sees you, she immediately raises her head.)


    (Woman: Who are you? Why do you have my daughter''s mask? What do you want?)


    (You: I''m here to negotiate with you.)


    (Woman: What?)


    (You: I found your corpse, and I want to make a deal with you, exchanging your corpse for the doll you have.)


    (You engage in a conversation with the woman, and she ultimately agrees to trade with you.)


    (You ce the corpse on the ground.)


    (The woman hands the doll over to you.)


    (Before you could put away the doll, the woman had already swallowed the corpse.)


    (The woman let out a painful groan and immediately transformed into a ck giant monster.)


    (Instinctively, you take out the red pill and elephant mask.)


    (The woman''s body copses suddenly, reverting back to a human form, struggling on the ground.)


    (Woman: You deceiver! You actually poisoned me?)


    (You: How was I supposed to know you were going to eat it? I thought you were going to use it as firewood.)


    (The woman''s eyes roll back, and foam spills from her mouth.)


    (You worry that the woman might y dead again.)


    (You take out a hammer from your toolbox and smash the woman''s head.)


    (You exit the secret room.)


    (You wipe off the blood on yourself and retrieve the doll from your kangaroo pants.)


    (You unzip the back of the doll and take out a red ess card.)


    (The front of the ess card depicts a half-red, half-ck clown symbol, which is the logo of the Weird World Live Broadcast Channel.)


    (With a gulp, you turn the card over, revealing red bloody words.)


    (<i>"With it, you can go anywhere.</i>")


    (<i>"Including the underground third basement."</i>)


    (You feel shocked.)


    (You thought the hospital having two underground levels was already extreme, but you never expected there would be a third underground level.)


    (The mental pollution in the second basement was already intense, so what would the deeper third basement be like?)


    (After contemting for a moment, you pick up the red ess card and head to the elevator.)


    (The elevator control panel only goes down to the second basement; there''s no button for the third basement.)


    (You ce the red ess card on the sensor area.)


    (The entire elevator turns bright red.)


    (Only one floor remains on the control panel¡ªLevel -3.)


    (You press the button.)


    (The elevator opens.)


    (A pitch-ck scene lies outside.)


    (You take off your mask.)


    (The darkness outside the elevator dissipates, revealing a clean and narrow corridor with a red woolen carpet on the floor.)


    (You step onto the carpet.)


    (The corridor bes narrower as you walk further, and eventually, you have to turn sideways to pass through.)


    (You finally exit the corridor.)


    (Ahead of you is a massive movie theater.)


    (There are ten rows of seats in the audience, but not a single person is sitting there.)


    (You turn your head towards the projection room, and the projector is flickering non-stop. You vaguely notice a figure standing beside it.)


    (You enter the projection room.)


    (Sitting beside the projector is a woman with long hair. She has her hair tied up in a high ponytail and stares straight ahead at the nk screen.)


    (You: Toto?)


    (The woman turns her head.)


    (You notice that this woman''s face bears a striking resemnce to yours as if you were long-lost siblings.)


    (Toto: That''s right, it''s me. It seems you followed my hints quite well.)


    (You: Did you write all the bloody hints?)


    (Toto: Indeed, but many of them were written when I was delirious. I don''t know if those nonsensical words had any impact on you.)


    (Toto''s tone sends chills down your spine. Like you, she doesn''t fit into this world.)


    (You: Who are you exactly?)


    (Toto: ording to the rules, I can''t tell you. You came here to seek the truth, right?)


    (You: That''s correct.)


    (Toto: Do you know what film I''m going to screen?)


    (Without hesitation, you take out the film reel for "Monster Siege.")


    (Toto inserts the film into the projector and grabs a new pair of 3D sses from the worktable, handing them to you.)


    (Toto: Go outside and enjoy the show.)


    (You nod and take a seat in the audience area with the new sses in hand.)


    (The sses have no instructions or text, so you put them on directly.)


    (A pitch-ck scene unfolds before your eyes.)

 Chapter 43: The Deal with I’s Mother (3)

    <h4>Chapter 43: The Deal with I''s Mother (3)</h4>


    (Your vision is pitch ck.)


    (You can''t perceive anything.)


    (You wait in the void for half an hour, but nothing happens.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and frustratedly rubbed his head.


    "What''s going on?"


    Supporting his chin, Gu Yi pondered carefully.


    It was the first time he had encountered such a situation during his deductions.


    Normally, even if he triggered a death g, his talent would still simte the scene of his demise.


    However, this time, he lost all perception, as if he had fallen into a void.


    He had waited inplete emptiness for half an hour, and still, nothing happened.


    "Calm down and think about the reasons."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and silently contemted, summarizing the clues he had gathered.


    1. "I''s" mother could be killed, and he has just deducted the safest and most effective method to do so.


    2. After killing "I''s" mother, he can obtain a red ess card from the doll.


    3. Using the red ess card, he can enter the hospital''s inner world, the third basement.


    4. On the third basement, he will encounter "I," that is Toto, who looked identical to him.


    5. After watching "Monster Siege" in Toto''s theatre, he will be trapped in a void. The theatre seemed to be an unsafe ce.


    Gu Yi recalled everything he had experienced and considered if he had overlooked any clues that hindered his progress.


    "No, there''s only thisst path."


    Gu Yi shook his head with determination.


    He had recollected all his experiences and deducted scenarios, ultimately concluding that the theatre on the hospital''s third basement was the only lead.


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>Why did I end up in a void while watching the movie?</i>


    <i>No!</i>


    <i>It wasn''t a void.</i>


    Gu Yi suddenly understood the crucial point.


    During these days, he had be overly reliant on his talent of infinite deduction, to the point where he forgot that his talent also had limitations.


    <i>-- Infinite deduction couldn''t simte anything rted to the "Weird World" system!</i>


    Whenever he made progress in the dungeon process and received rewards from the system, his infinite deduction couldn''t calcte those aspects.


    It was an inevitable limitation because the talent of infinite deduction was originally bestowed upon him by the Weird World system.


    Recalling the appearance of the red ess card, he could understand it better.


    The front of the ess card depicted the logo of the "Weird World" live broadcast channel, which was a clear hint.


    In that underground theater, Gu Yi might not only collect clues about the dungeon world but can also learn about the entire Weird World. Hence, he couldn''t utilize his talent to specte the details within it.


    To explore the underground theatre, Gu Yi had to go there personally.


    "Phew, it''s not a big deal."


    Gu Yi let out a long sigh and put on the bird mask, walking out of the toilet.


    First, he stole a box of pills and hid them inside "I''s" mother''s corpse.


    Then, he put on Toto''s handmade mask and went skillfully to the secret room in the second basement.


    This time, Gu Yi was facing "I''s" mother in reality. Although he had interacted with her many times before, facing her in person still evoked a suffocating feeling deep in his soul.


    "Who are you? Why do you have Toto''s mask?"


    "It doesn''t matter who I am," Gu Yi cut straight to the point. "I can give you back your corpse, but the condition is that you must give me your doll."


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    Mother looked confused, even her hair behind her eerily floated in the air.


    Gu Yi felt no fear. As long as he wore Toto''s mask, Toto''s mother wouldn''t harm him in the slightest.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    Gu Yi took out his mother''s corpse from his kangaroo pants, and Toto''s mother immediately panicked.


    "This is... this is my body, I can feel it!"


    "So, can we discuss the terms now?"


    "I have nothing to discuss with you!"


    Gu Yi sneered, stepping on the corpse, and lifted the hammer towards his own mask. "I don''t want to waste time with you. Are you willing to make the exchange or not?"


    "Wait, I agree!"


    Mother immediately dropped her intimidating demeanor and reverted to her human form.


    She felt extremely strange.


    She had clearly encountered this man for the first time, yet he seemed to have met her before.


    He always seemed to predict her actions in advance, even her inner thoughts were clear to him.


    "I''s" Mother suspected there was deception involved.


    But she had no choice but to agree to his demands.


    Without reiming her body, she would be trapped here forever.


    "Recieve with one hand, deliver with the other."


    Toto''s Mother tossed her doll.


    Gu Yi caught the doll and casually ced the corpse on the floor.


    Gu Yi tucked the doll into his pants and coldly watched as Toto''s mother swallowed her own corpse.


    "Ah, I''ve finally regained my strength. I''m going to... kill you!"


    Toto''s Mother suddenly transformed into a monster, extending ck ws toward Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi calmly stood his ground, gazing into Toto''s mother''s eyes with a mocking smile.


    "Why? Are you poisoned?"


    Mother clutched her stomach, copsing on the ground, gradually losing strength.


    Foam foamed from her mouth, her body convulsed, and she lost consciousness.


    Gu Yi took out the hammer, prepared to do as he did in his deduction, smashing "I''s" mother''s head.


    "Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds have consequences. She wanted to kill me, but in the end, she was poisoned to death by drugs. She has received the retribution she deserves. There''s no need to be so ruthless."


    Gu Yi remembered the words on the mask and ultimately put away the hammer.


    <i>¡ªIn this replica, one must never resort to extreme measures.</i>


    Gu Yi tore open the doll and retrieved the red ess card from inside, confirming the prompt from the system.


    <i>"You have obtained a special plot item in the dungeon: Red ess Card."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress: 67%."</i>


    <i>"You can choose one reward from the following options."</i>


    <i>"1. Increase your strength by 10%."</i>


    <i>"2. Increase your agility by 10%."</i>


    <i>"3. Increase your stamina by 10%."</i>


    Seeing these rewards, Gu Yi''s face immediately fell. "How unlucky! This is a decryption-type dungeon, what use is enhancing physical attributes? Why can''t it reward me with enhanced mental power?"


    After thinking for a while, Gu Yi ultimately chose to strengthen his stamina by 10%.


    In the next moment, a white light shed before Gu Yi''s eyes, and he felt his body rejuvenated as if he had be much morefortable all over. Gu Yi opened his clothes and nced at himself. Even the ck fur on his body seemed to have reduced.


    "So that''s how it is. Enhancing stamina can also increase my resistance to illness. In the end, my current condition is simr to being sick. It seems I made the right choice in enhancing stamina."


    Gu Yi let out a long sigh of relief, clutching the red ess card in his hand, and headed for the nearest elevator.

 Chapter 44: The Third Basement

    <h4>Chapter 44: The Third Basement</h4>


    Gu Yi arrived at the elevator lobby and used the red ess card to reach the underground third floor.


    He removed all the masks from his face and stepped into the narrow corridor once again.


    Only after Gu Yi truly entered the corridor did he realize that deduction was not always 100% urate.


    There was a faint scent of orchids in the air, and the corridor was not as narrow as deduced. He didn''t need to walk with his body sideways at all.


    Instead of a red wool carpet, the floor was paved with red marble tiles.


    Gu Yi felt that the power of "Weird World" must be at y here, causing discrepancies between the deduction and reality.


    Gu Yi reached the end of the corridor.


    He pushed open the door in front of him.


    Inside was an empty screening room, with only the projection room above Gu Yi''s head still illuminated.


    Gu Yi smoothly made his way to the projection room and found Toto.


    "Hello."


    "Oh, you''re here." Toto turned around. "You must have followed my clues toe here."


    Gu Yi looked at Toto, feeling uneasy all over.


    This felt like a scenario where an author finally gained poprity through their work but was then forced by fans to cross-dress and take pictures in front of a mirror.


    "You''re Toto, right?"


    "Yeah, nice to see you again."


    "Why do you say ''again''...?"


    Gu Yi quickly seized upon the detail in Toto''s words.


    Gu Yi was certain that he had never met the real Toto during the progression of the dungeon, so how could she use the word "again"?


    Toto calmly replied, "There''s a part of me on the mask. When you see it, it''s as if you''re seeing me."


    "What exactly is the conflict between you and your mother?"


    "She sold me to this hospital but ended up being manipted by the hospital''s dean. In the end, she became something neither human nor ghost. I believe that by obtaining that ess card, you should already have a clear idea of her fate."


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow.


    Toto''s words aligned with his investigation and deductions, but Gu Yi couldn''t shake the feeling that something was unreasonable about it.


    <i>¡ªHer tone sounded more like reciting lines rather than telling her own story.</i>


    Gu Yi used his talent.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (Your vision is pitch ck.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    "Just as I thought."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s nothing."


    Gu Yi shook his head.


    Just as he had deduced, the underground third floor of the hospital no longer solely belonged to Chongshan Hospital. It was a world that surpassed Chongshan Hospital.


    If he did something inappropriate here, he could very well end up in an irreversible situation.


    ¡ªHe no longer had the opportunity to use his talent to navigate throughndmines.


    "Do you have anything else to say to me now that you''re here?"


    "I want to know the truth."


    "I can''t tell you directly. ording to the rules, you must deduce and explore it yourself." Toto hooked her finger. "Since you''vee to the screening room, you can''t just leave without watching a movie, can you? You should have brought that thing, right?"


    "Monster Siege."


    Gu Yi took out Monster Siege from his pocket.


    Toto took Monster Siege and handed Gu Yi a brand new pair of 3D sses.


    "You can continue watching from down there."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi sat in the theater seat and put on the 3D sses.


    The movie began ying.


    The film hadpletely transformed into something else.


    The main characters in the story were all peculiar-looking aliens, but Gu Yi could understand every word they said clearly.


    He noticed that the plot of this story didn''t deviate much from the original, except that the actors'' identities had be aliens.


    It''s worth mentioning that the male protagonist still had a pet, but this pet had transformed into a human.


    The human wore a cor like a dog and waspletely naked, appearing utterly undignified.


    Unconsciously, Gu Yi immersed himself in the role of that pet, but halfway through, he couldn''t bear to watch any longer and took off the 3D sses.


    "What''s wrong? Why did you stop watching?"


    "No need to watch." Gu Yi said, "I''ve already understood the implications of this film. Chongshan Hospital is not a hospital on Earth; ites from another parallel universe. In this world, aliens dominate while humans are merely their pets, like cats and dogs on Earth. Like you and me, having cognitive disorders, so I can''t see the true nature of the world. Am I right?"


    "Hey, you''re right. You got half of it."


    "And I also know the other half."


    Toto grinned. "Then why don''t you say it?"


    "I can also say the other half, which might allow me to directly reach a certain ending, but I don''t know if that ending would be considered a perfect clearance."


    "Of course, it wouldn''t..."


    Gu Yi closed his mouth, looked at Toto with a mischievous smile, and asked, "How did you know I''m inside the game?"


    Toto touched her own cheek and smiled. "Is this your way of eliciting a confession?"


    In the Weird World.


    No matter how mischievous the yers were, no matter what they said about the Weird World, the local residents of the Weird World would not be able toprehend it.


    Gu Yi had mentioned words like "clearance" and "ending" multiple times in front of Toto, but she understood them perfectly.


    That in itself was unnatural.


    Gu Yi stared into Toto''s eyes and boldly questioned, "Are you the mastermind behind the entire ''Weird World''? Did you plunge all of us, humans, into fear?"


    Toto remained silent, maintaining a stiff smile.


    Gu Yi continued, "Yes, that''s impossible. You''ve transformed into someone who looks just like me, so there must be a hidden meaning behind it. Are you trying to tell me that you, like me, were also once an adventurer?"


    Toto''s face suddenly became blurry, resembling a palette of various colors.


    "You''re right."


    "Why did you end up like this?"


    "You''ll understandter."


    Toto grinned.


    The surrounding scenery suddenly changed, and a huge wooden door appeared in front of Gu Yi.


    "Actually, if you simply state the essence of this world in front of me, I can let you leave. In that case, you can achieve the achievement of normal custom clearance, and your country won''t have to worry about the risk of Weird World invading for the time being.


    However, the people in other countries will still live in the shadow of Weird resurgences, and the monsters in the dungeon will still invade the world.


    If you walk out through this wooden door now, you can return to the real world..."


    "I choose the second option!" Gu Yi said firmly, "I want to achieve the achievement of a perfect custom clearance."


    "Do you really see yourself as a savior?"


    "I don''t even need to guess to know that the difficulty of this dungeon has surpassed all the previous ones.


    If the entire world is invaded by the Weirdness, our country won''t be able to escape the cmity.


    The Weird powers from other countries will still find ways to spread within the borders of the Dragon Country. Only a perfect custom clearance can save all humans from the persecution of the Weird World.


    I might be thest hope for the entire world.


    Without a perfect custom clearance, it''s a failure.


    And I... don''t like to fail."

 Chapter 45: Conversing with Reality

    <h4>Chapter 45: Conversing with Reality</h4>


    "As long as there is no perfectpletion, it is a failure.


    And I... don''t like to fail."


    Gu Yi said emphatically.


    There were still many mysteries in Chongshan Hospital left unsolved.


    For example, the password to the dean''sputer, the dean''s weakness, and how to eliminate the Unspeakable.


    Gu Yi would never be satisfied if he didn''t solve these difficult puzzles.


    More importantly, Gu Yi felt that the door left by Toto might not be the correct path topletion; it could very well be a trap.


    After all the effort and risks he took to reach the third underground floor, he would only receive a normal level ofpletion evaluation?


    No matter how much he thinks, something felt wrong about that!


    Toto tilted her head, and only the color red remained on her palette-like face.


    "I can assure you that there is nothing wrong with this door. Once you leave this ce, there won''t be another opportunity like this. It might be yourst chance to leave Chongshan Hospital.


    No one has sessfully cleared Chongshan Hospital, neither in your world nor in any other world. Do you really believe that you can make it through?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brows.


    Toto''s words contained significant information, and he came up with some bold conjectures.


    Gu Yi firmly shook his head and said, "Either way, I won''t choose to go through that door. I must achieve a perfect custom clearance."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I''m sure."


    "Hmph, fine."


    Toto wore an unwilling expression and snapped her fingers.


    The small wooden door in front of Gu Yi disappeared into thin air, and immediately, the entire movie theater shattered into pieces. Gu Yi was suspended in the void, feeling like he was drowning.


    "It''s over..."


    Gu Yi''s heart raced, and he couldn''t even make a sound.


    The anomaly continued for a full minute, and Gu Yi finallynded on the ground.


    Toto was gone.


    It was pitch ck here, and he couldn''t see anything.


    Gu Yi took out a shlight from his kangaroo pants and turned it on. There were only three ck brick walls around him, and behind him was the long corridor he hade through.


    As expected, everything was just as he had guessed.


    The so-called "Toto" was the host of the "Weird World," and she wasn''t the real "I" at all.


    If he had really agreed to her request, it would have undoubtedly triggered an instant death g.


    Everything he had just seen was an illusion.


    Gu Yi searched the ground and finally found a small coffin.


    The coffin was square, only about half the size of a person, seemingly prepared for a fright. Gu Yi took out a pry bar and forcefully opened the coffin lid, revealing a lifelike female corpse inside.


    The female corpse had her hands ced on her chest, in a peaceful posture. Her facial skin had been torn off, making it impossible to discern her appearance.


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to act recklessly and once again activated his deduction ability, but found that he still couldn''t deduce anything.


    "Well, I can only give it a try."


    Gu Yi took out Toto''s handmade mask and ced it on the face of the female corpse.


    The mask perfectly fits the female corpse.


    Her hands, which were ced on her chest, suddenly dropped, and her head tilted to the side.


    Gu Yi forced himself to remain calm and looked at the chest of the female corpse. Hanging from it was a silver whistle.


    He reached out and took the whistle, and the female corpse turned into ashes, leaving only the pig-head mask.


    <i>"You have obtained a special plot item in the dungeon: Dog Whistle."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration progress has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 74%."</i>


    <i>"You have obtained the opportunity tomunicate with the real world. You can have a face-to-face video conversation with anyone in the world for three minutes."</i>


    <i>"Would you like to initiate a conversation?"</i>


    Gu Yi put away the dog whistle and the mask, squatting by the side of the coffin, silently contemting.


    In Chongshan Hospital, Gu Yi felt unprecedented pressure. This opportunity tomunicate with the real world was rare, but unfortunately, he only had three minutes for this conversation.


    Of course, Gu Yi couldn''t afford to waste these precious three minutes. He wanted to contact the Dragon Country''s Strategy Group and share some of his spections about the "Weird World" with them.


    Gu Yi took out a pen and paper and recorded everything he needed to say, reading it repeatedly to make sure he wouldn''t go over the time limit.


    "Requesting a conversation. I want to connect with the leader of the Dragon Country''s Strategy Group."


    <i>"Please wait a moment, adventurer. The connection will begin shortly."</i>


    A white light shed before Gu Yi''s eyes.


    He found himself back in the movie theater, but this time, the movie screen disyed the experts from the Dragon Country Strategy Group.


    Upon seeing Gu Yi, the leader of the group immediately showed a shocked expression.


    "Hello, leader. I''m Gu Yi."


    "Gu Yi, are you alright? Did you clear the level? Why can''t we see you on the live stream? How are youmunicating with us?"


    "No time for small talk. I only have three minutes for this call. I obtained a lot of information in this dungeon. You need to find a way to record what I''m saying."


    "Quick, stop dawdling!" The leader turned around and shouted at his subordinates, "I''ve called for someone to record. Keep talking."


    Gu Yi nodded, took out the piece of paper in his hand, and rapidly read the contents.


    "1. I can confirm that all the dungeons in the Weird World have references to the real world. However, the prototype of each dungeon may not necessarily be our own reality or world; it could be from another parallel timeline. In addition to us, adventurers from other parallel worlds also exist in the Weird World."


    "2. I can confirm that people in the Weird World canmunicate with people in the real world, but the conditions formunication are extremely strict. You must have a sufficiently high plotpletion rate to have the opportunity tomunicate with the real world."


    "3. This is my spection. Each dungeon has an inner world where we can encounter NPCs belonging to the Weird World. I remember you once mentioned that there is a director behind ''Weird World,'' and today, I might have met that director."


    "4. This is another spection. Every adventurer who dies in a dungeon doesn''t truly disappear into nothingness. They are likely to reappear in the dungeon world in some form and be NPCs. Perhaps the director and NPCs in the Weird World are former adventurers."


    Gu Yi finished reading the note in his hand, his eyes fixed on the screen.


    The members of the strategy group noted down everything Gu Yi said. This was their first timemunicating with an adventurer in the Weird World, and excitement filled their faces.


    "We have noted everything, Gu Yi," the leader said, adjusting the camera. "We still have one minute left. Is there anything else you want to say?"


    "That''s all."


    "Don''t you want to connect with your family?"


    Gu Yi clenched his fist and earnestly replied, "No need. It''s not necessary."


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to see his own family.


    He was afraid that after seeing them, he would lose the courage to face the numerous dangers of the Weird World.


    "How many surviving challengers are there in Chongshan Hospital now?"


    "Only you."

 Chapter 46: Chongshan’s Diary

    <h4>Chapter 46: Chongshan''s Diary</h4>


    "As expected, I had already guessed it. The mortality rate in this world is undoubtedly as high as 100%."


    Gu Yi sighed with a bitter smile and shook his head.


    The first dungeon he participated in had such a high difficulty level. It was filled with dangers and puzzles, bringing him endless mental pressure.


    He possessed an SSS-level talent, which allowed him to reach this point.


    If it were any other adventurer without unlocking powerful talents, they would have likely be lifeless corpses long ago.


    "Leader, you''re right. The mortality rate in the Weird World is gradually increasing. One day, they willpletely upy us with their Weird powers, and humanity will be driven to extinction."


    "Gu Yi, don''t carry such a heavy burden... We are your strongest support. Have you encountered any difficulties in the dungeon?"


    "Yes." Gu Yi nodded. "I haven''t found the startup password for the dean''sputer yet. Do you have any clues?"


    "Well..."


    "Forget it. It''s okay. I will figure it out myself. Please take care of my parents and family, and also..."


    Gu Yi looked up at the big screen.


    It was pitch ck.


    Gu Yi sat in his seat and let out a long sigh.


    The movie theater copsed, and Gu Yi once again returned to the state of drowning in the void.


    This gave Gu Yi a chance to think deeply.


    Just now, the two spections Gu Yi mentioned were notplete. There was still one question he hadn''t figured out.


    <i>Why did the person who imed to be the "former adventurer" impersonate Toto tomunicate with him?</i>


    <i>Did he have no other intentions apart from framing him?</i>


    <i>Why did the Weird World appear, and why did it torment humanity, making them struggle for survival in various strange dungeons over and over again?</i>


    Encountering people from the "Weird World" in the inner world waspletely unexpected for Gu Yi.


    He vaguely felt that one day he would also be an NPC in the "Weird World."


    The feeling of weightlessness and drowning finally disappeared.


    Gu Yi returned to the side of the small coffin.


    Without a doubt, the real "I" was lying inside the small coffin.


    At the moment Gu Yi saw her, shepletely lost her vitality and ced all her hopes for revenge on him.


    Gu Yi yed with the whistle in his hand and blew it forcefully.


    The whistle made no sound.


    No matter how hard Gu Yi blew, it was useless.


    "By the way, this thing is a dog whistle, maybe only dogs can hear it."


    Gu Yi frowned slightly and hung the whistle around his neck, hiding it close to his body.


    This thing must be an important item corresponding to the Security Department.


    Gu Yi collected all the items, put on Toto''s mask, and returned to the first floor of the hospital.


    Now, Gu Yi had the red ess card, which allowed him to freely enter any room, including Room 0, the crematorium, the dean''s office, or any other ce.


    Gu Yi remembered that there was a door in the archives that couldn''t be opened. Perhaps the red ess card in his hand could allow him to explore the depths of the archives.


    Not only that, but he also needed to test the true function of the dog whistle while thinking about how to crack theputer password in the dean''s office.


    <i>--These were the few remaining secrets in the entire dungeon.</i>


    Now, it was almost time for the morning treatment.


    Everyone left their wards and headed toward the treatment room.


    To avoid suspicion, Gu Yi obedientlyy in his ward and used his talent to explore.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You put on the pig mask and secretly leave the ward.)


    (You wander around the corridor until you encounter a member of the security department.)


    (You blow the dog whistle.)


    (The security member freezes in ce as if paused.)


    (You consider taking off the dog mask but ultimately decide against it.)


    (Removing the mask could potentially harm the security member, viting the principle of "Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences.," and increasing the difficulty of your progress.)


    (The dog whistle is powerful enough to halt the actions of the security department. Its function is already sufficient.)


    (You arrive at the basement floor.)


    (Using the red ess card, you open the door to the archives.)


    (You find the door that was previously inessible and effortlessly open it with the red ess card.)


    (You enter the room.)


    (There are two shelves in the room.)


    (On the left shelf, there is a giant spider egg.)


    (You put on the bird beak mask and finally, find instructions beneath the spider egg.)


    ([This is the egg of a giant spider. It needs some stimtion to hatch.])


    (You have an idea and bring a ss containing a toad closer to the spider egg.)


    (The spider egg immediately starts shaking and making eerie sounds.)


    (You quickly put away the ss and ce the giant spider egg into your kangaroo pants.)


    (You move to the right shelf.)


    (It is filled with various research materials, but even with the bird beak mask, you cannot understand the specific contents.)


    (You put down that roll of research materials.)


    (On the second level of the shelf, you find a diary. The text is iprehensible to you, regardless of the mask you wear, you cannot decipher the content.)


    (You sit on the floor and ponder carefully.)


    (You take off the mask.)


    (You flip to the first page of the diary, which bears the name of the owner, the only name you can understand.)


    ([Chongshan])


    (This is the diary of the dean of Chongshan Hospital.)


    (You seem to have grasped some details that you had never grasped before.)


    (There are no characters in the hospital without masks, only you, the dean, the dean''s daughter, and the patients.)


    (Any other person without a mask will die or be a ghost.)


    (Patients don''t wear masks because they are not natives of this world.)


    (But why don''t the dean and his daughter wear masks?)


    (You have been puzzled by this question, and you have proposed several hypotheses, but you still entered a dead end in your thinking.)


    (The diary is not an important item; it is a hint that can help you decipher the mystery.)


    (And even the NPC posing as Toto in the Weird World is a clue.)


    (Their hint is: You are not the only traveler in this dungeon.)


    (The dean, just like you, is an adventurer. He is not a native of this world, so he does not wear a mask in your eyes.)


    (The daughter of the dean, although not wearing a mask, has the ability to transform into a monster, implying that she is a hybrid of an adventurer and a native.)


    (You can clearly see the name "Chongshan" because both of you are adventurers. This is a hint given by the system''s rules.)


    (You cannot decipher the specific content of the "Chongshan''s" diary because youe from different civilizations.)


    (You flip to thest page of the diary.)


    (You discover that this diary is mysteriously generating text on its own.)


    (The shop owner once mentioned that the dean likes to use birthdays as passwords.)


    (But you have been calcting birthdays using Earth''s calendar ¨C this was your biggest oversight.)


    (You open the first page of the diary and find the written date in the top left corner.)


    (You take out a pen, record the date, and also take out the research report to deduce the corresponding calendar.)


    (You make a bold conjecture.)


    (The first day of the diary is the day when Toto first came to the hospital, the same day your character was admitted.)


    (With an anchor point established, deducing the dates bes much easier.)

 Chapter 47: Cracking the Password

    <h4>Chapter 47: Cracking the Password</h4>


    (0307, 0910, 1205.)


    (These three sets of numbers are the dates you calcted using the calendar you made from the Dean''s diary.)


    (The three dates are the birthdays of the Dean, the Dean''s daughter, and the Dean''s wife.)


    (You leave the archives and head straight to the third floor.)


    (Some members of the security department stop you.)


    (You blow the dog whistle, freezing all the security personnel in ce.)


    (You use the red ess card to open the Dean''s office.)


    (The Dean is temporarily absent.)


    (You quickly enter the three sets of dates, and 1205 is the correct password. The Dean actually used his wife''s birthday as the startup password.)


    (You check theputer.)


    (You discover some remarkable information.)


    (Inside the Dean''sputer, there are first-hand research materials left by Toto''s mother, as well as chat records between the Dean and major clients.)


    (The information from Toto''s mother and the information from the second basement have some discrepancies, but you believe that the information from the basement was seen by you in an unclear state of mind, so it is not worth trusting.)


    (You decide to rely on the information on theputer.)


    (After reading the materials, you immediately summarize all the clues.)


    (1. The native people here refer to themselves as "Heavenly Beings", and their home ispletely different from yours.)


    (2. Petz was indeed created by transforming a humanoid creature known as "Xiva," which is a species introduced from another. The character you are ying is a Xiva.)


    (3. Heavenly beings scientists believe that Xiva is a low-intelligence being. However, a biologist named Fisher has sessfully nurtured the first cognitively capable Xiva, whom she named Toto.)


    (4. Fisher conducted research using Toto as a sample and believed that all Xiva could be transformed into a new species through socialization, hypnosis, and surgery. She referred to this new species as "Petz.")


    (5. After bing Petz, the appearance of Xiva undergoes a significant change and eventually evolves into the appearance of a Heavenly being. Xiva has a natural mimicry ability and with training and learning, they can perfectly integrate into Heavenly being''s society. This exins why you can mimic Heavenly beings perfectly by wearing masks.)


    (6. The chat records between the Dean and the clients reveal that the major client''s purchase of Petz is not merely for "keeping pets." They utilize Petz''s exceptional mimicry ability to cultivate living organs. They dissect Petz not for so-called "treatment," but to cut off their limbs or organs for the treatment or organ transnt surgery of the Heavenly beings.)


    (Based on this information, you make the following conjectures.)


    (1. Fisher came to Chongshan Hospital with all the research materials, intending to coborate with Dean Chongshan. However, in the end, she was imprisoned by the Dean and trapped in a secret room in the office, where she died.)


    (2. Dean Chongshan embezzled all of Fisher''s research findings and also made a deal with the Unspeakable. He took control of Toto, established, and modified this hospital, which is controlled by Weird rules.)


    (3. You are a person who has been hypnotized, and everything you see may not be real. You must find a way to break free from this hypnotic state. When you awaken from the hypnosis, you will also be the one who breaks the rules.)


    (You have a faint feeling that if you find a way to break free from the hypnotic state, the power of the Unspeakable''s rules will immediately crumble.)


    (You connect to the inte using theputer.)


    (You attempt to expose what is happening here online, seeking help from the police or the media.)


    (You discover that the inte is filled with urban legends about Chongshan Hospital, where people are only interested in the strange rules and no one cares about the rights and dignity of Petz.)


    (In their minds, Petz is nothing more than ab rat.)


    (The lives of the Heavenly beingse first, and no matter how precious theb rats are, they are not as valuable as the lives of the Heavenly beings.)


    (Everyone will fall ill one day, and Petz serves as their reserve living organ bank. How could they undermine this n that seeks the well-being of all Heavenly Beings?)


    (You give up on seeking help through public opinion.)


    (A door opens outside.)


    (The Dean angrily enters the office.)


    (Dean: What are you doing here?)


    (You: Trying to uncover the truth of this world!)


    (Dean: You''re done for.)


    (The Dean takes out pen and paper, preparing to write down new rules.)


    (You put on the elephant mask and simultaneously swallow the red pill.)


    (You decide to confront the Dean directly and understand his specific abilities.)


    (You transform into a monster.)


    (You charge forward and snatch the pen and paper from the Dean.)


    (The Dean is shocked and calls for the security department.)


    (You blow the dog whistle, freezing all the security personnel in ce.)


    (You engage in a physical confrontation with the Dean.)


    (You have a slight advantage.)


    (The Dean fights while running, and the dark figure behind him bes clearer.)


    (The Elephant Repairman arrives in front of you.)


    (You take out the spider egg and activate the spider with the toad.)


    (A giant spider emerges from the egg and heads straight for the Elephant Repairman.)


    (You hold the toad in your hand, and the spider doesn''t dare toe near you.)


    (The giant spider wreaks havoc in the hospital.)


    (You catch up to the Dean.)


    (Dean: Wait, don''te any closer. I surrender.)


    (You notice the Dean''s hand behind his back, making a suspicious gesture.)


    (You don''t give him any chance, refuse to engage in any conversation with the Dean, and directly pounce on him.)


    (The Unspeakable behind the Dean rushes out.)


    (The Unspeakable lightly taps you.)


    (You freeze in ce.)


    (Everything turns pitch ck before your eyes.)


    (You attempt to terminate the deduction.)


    (But you fail.)


    (The Unspeakable appears before you.)


    (Unspeakable: You''ll be trapped here until death.)


    (You descend into an endless abyss.)


    (You can''t break free.)


    (Your consciousness is gradually torn into fragments by the void.)


    (You die.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and returned to reality.


    <i>"Hah--"</i>


    Gu Yi covered his temple with his hand.


    The pain of being torn apart by the void still lingered in Gu Yi''s mind, even now he can''t alleviate it.


    Not only that, but Gu Yi also heard the cold notification sound from the system.


    <i>"You faced the Unspeakable (Complete Form), and your mental power has been ravaged."</i>


    <i>"Your upper limit of mental power is reduced by 20 points, it can not be restored until the end of the dungeon."</i>


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, feeling frustrated.


    Reducing the upper limit of mental power by 20 points means that he can only conduct three consecutive deductions, greatly reducing the margin for error in his actions.


    Thinking of using an exhaustive method to find the weakness of the Unspeakable is just wishful thinking.


    Every time he will encounter the Unspeakable (Complete Form), it will inflict significant damage to his mental power. If he continues to confront it without proper preparation, his mental power will eventually be reduced to zero.


    "I''m already at the final step. I can''t give up now!"

 Chapter 48: The Foreshadowing

    <h4>Chapter 48: The Foreshadowing</h4>


    Gu Yi didn''t feel discouraged for too long.


    Through the deduction just now, Gu Yi has already summarized all the moves of the Dean.


    <strong>1. Writing notes to change the rules.</strong>


    For this move, Gu Yi can easily interrupt the dean''s casting action through his transformation, so there is no need to worry.


    <strong>2. Calling the security department.</strong>


    Gu Yi has a dog whistle, so the security department is not a concern at all.


    <strong>3. Calling the elephant repairman.</strong>


    Even though the dean can call for the elephant repairman, Gu Yi still has a spider egg, which can deal with him effectively.


    <strong>4. Calling the Unspeakable.</strong>


    This is the most difficult one to deal with. With Gu Yi''s current strength, there is no way to solve it.


    The Unspeakable just needs to re at him, and it can immediately banish him to the void, and even reduce his mental power limit.


    Withoutplete preparation, Gu Yi must not attempt to confront the Unspeakable head-on.


    Furthermore, the location of the final battle that Gu Yi just found was not suitable.


    It was the dean''s office, where the power of the Unspeakable is strongest, and Gu Yi has no room to maneuver at all.


    "What other clues have I overlooked? Think quickly, think quickly..."


    Gu Yi racked his brains but still couldn''te up with any ideas.


    He sat on the edge of the bed for a while, no longer entangled, and decided to first go to the archive room to get the giant spider egg and the Dean''s diary.


    After obtaining the items, the system did not provide any information about the progress of the dungeon.


    It seems that he is left with only thest step - defeating the dean and eliminating the Unspeakable.


    Gu Yi returned to the ward,y on the bed, and contemted for a while, deciding to use his talent to think and maximize the use of time.


    (Begin deduction!)


    (You lie on the bed, deep in thought.)


    (You realize that there''s an important character you haven''t investigated yet, and that is the dean''s wife.)


    (You only learned limited information about the dean''s wife from the shop owner, specifically her birthday.)


    (The fact that the dean uses his wife''s birthday as hisputer startup password indicates how much he values her.)


    (You decide to start the investigation with the dean''s wife.)


    (You dare not go to the dean''s office anymore.)


    (If you spend more than ten minutes in the dean''s office, the dean will appear.)


    (Ten minutes is not enough time for you to conduct an investigation.)


    (You put on Toto''s mask and leave the ward.)


    (You discuss the dean''s wife with the surrounding doctors.)


    (The doctors look at you in horror and avoid discussing the topic.)


    (You attempt to talk to the pig-headed salespeople, but they are equally evasive.)


    (The dean suddenly appears in front of you, holding pen and paper.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "I can''t even have a conversation about this?"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, his heart pounding.


    Fortunately, the dean was only preparing to use the power of the rules to deal with him. If he directly summoned the Unspeakable, his mental power limit would have decreased again.


    The dean''s wife is also a taboo topic in the hospital, and cannot be discussed openly. Gu Yi must find another way to obtain information.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You sit on the bed, contemting.)


    (You remember that there is an office in the second basement with aputer.)


    (The offices on the third floor and the second basement have a corresponding rtionship. Perhaps you can find some information there.)


    (You return to the second basement.)


    (The door to the secret room in the office is open, and you find that Toto''s mother has disappeared.)


    (You approach theputer.)


    (You take off the mask.)


    (Theputer transforms into a creepy form, and the tooth-shaped keycaps on the keyboard make you shudder.)


    (You turn on theputer.)


    (The screen disys the blood-written words "Wee.")


    (Theputer prompts for a password.)


    (You enter 1205.)


    (Theputer disys "Incorrect password," and you have two more chances to enter the password.)


    (You pause for a moment and enter 0307 and 0910.)


    (Blood suddenly gushes out from theputer keyboard.)


    (A ghostly face appears on the screen.)


    (It crawls out of the screen and bites your throat.)


    (Everything before your eyes turns blood-red.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi widened his eyes and touched his neck.


    Theputer in the basement only allowed three attempts to enter the password, and if it was all wrong, you would be killed.


    Gu Yi never expected that theputer in the basement would have a different password from the one on the third floor.


    "I''ve entered another dead end."


    Gu Yi sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head.


    He couldn''t find any more clues to reason with.


    "Uh..."


    Xu Nian walked over and gently patted Gu Yi''s shoulder.


    Gu Yi looked up.


    Xu Nian pointed at Gu Yi''s neck, wearing a worried expression.


    "What?"


    Gu Yi instinctively touched his neck.


    <i>--The ck hairs has spread to his neck.</i>


    Gu Yi quickly ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.


    Now his upper body waspletely covered in ck hair. It was no longer a problem that could be solved with a razor.


    He looked at his reflection in the mirror, even his pupils began to dte.


    "In the past few days, I deduced too much in the basement, and my mental power has been eroded too severely. At this rate of erosion, I''ll be sent to the crematorium by tomorrow."


    Gu Yi clenched his fist.


    He didn''t have much time left. He had to solve the final puzzle as soon as possible!


    Gritting his teeth, Gu Yi used a razor to shave off all the ck hair exposed outside his clothes. The hair was too dense and thick, and in some ces, it grew faster than he could shave.


    Gu Yi ruined three razor des, and in stubborn areas, he resorted to using a knife to scrape off ayer of skin.


    Those areas of skin hadpletely necrotized, and Gu Yi couldn''t feel any pain. Not even a few drops of blood flowed out.


    <i>--The situation of mental contamination had be extremely severe.</i>


    "At least it''s a bit better."


    Gu Yi feltpletely exhausted. He returned to the bed but found that Xu Nian had already sat up, eagerly looking at the ward''s door.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    "Uh, uh..."


    Xu Nian pointed in the direction of the cafeteria.


    Gu Yi was dazed for a moment, and then immediately heard the news that it was time for meals in the cafeteria.


    He had wasted the entire afternoon dealing with the ck hair on his body.


    "Never mind, let''s eat first."


    Gu Yi rubbed his stomach and followed Xu Nian into the cafeteria.


    Gu Yi absentmindedly stood in line until Xu Nian reminded him, and only then did he remember to order his food.


    "What would you like?"


    "Rice, braised pork with radish, stir-fried vegetables."


    "That will be 12.5 yuan in total."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi handed over the cash and walked to his seat with his tray.


    Suddenly, he felt a chill run through his body.


    He remembered a detail he had never noticed before.


    "12.5 yuan? Why does the cafeteria meal cost exactly 12.5 yuan? Is there any connection to 1205?"


    Gu Yi held the spoon, murmuring to himself in a low voice.


    A pig-headed person approached Gu Yi and raised a sign that said "No loud noises."


    Gu Yi smirked and continued to eat with his head lowered.


    <i>--I never expected that the foreshadowing would be buried so deep.</i>

 Chapter 49: Three Questions

    <h4>Chapter 49: Three Questions</h4>


    Actually, during Gu Yi''s progress, there were many small details hinting at him to explore the cafeteria.


    Toto''s handmade mask is a pig head, just like the chef in the cafeteria.


    The password for the dean''sputer is 1205.


    The dean''s wife''s birthday is on December 5th.


    When ordering food, the total price must be 12.5 yuan.


    The rules state that the cafeteria is off-limits during non-meal times, which made Gu Yi keep his distance from the cafeteria and overlook the need to explore it.


    However...


    Not only the cafeteria but also the basement and the dean''s office are restricted areas in the hospital.


    <i>But Gu Yi is still able toe and go freely, right?</i>


    As long as he has the right method, he can go anywhere.


    <i>The cafeteria restriction only applies to non-cafeteria personnel. If he wears the pig-head mask, he should be able to easily breach the restricted area, right?</i>


    With this in mind, Gu Yi''s fighting spirit reignited.


    Gu Yi quickly finished his meal.


    The sky was getting dark.


    Gu Yi couldn''t wait until midnight and immediately began his deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You crouch by the door panel and eavesdrop for a while until everyone in the corridor heads to the treatment room. Then you quickly run out of your room.)


    (You arrive at the kitchen.)


    (The pig-headed chef is washing the dishes.)


    (Chef: It''s almost time to finish work. Why aren''t you leaving?)


    (You: I left something inside, I''m just looking for it.)


    (You make up a random excuse, and the chef doesn''t suspect anything.)


    (You search the kitchen and storage room but find nothing.)


    (Youe to the freezer room.)


    (There''s a door with ess control. You use the red ess card to open it and slip inside.)


    (The temperature in the freezer room is extremely low, and various pork, beef, andmb meats are stored here.)


    (You find nothing.)


    (When you try to leave the freezer room, you realize that the door is locked.)


    (You knock on the door forcefully, but no one responds.)


    (The pig-headed chef after turning off all the lights has already left for the day.)


    (You shiver from the cold.)


    (You put on the elephant mask and struggle for a while before managing to open the door from the inside.)


    (You take a sip of ginger tea to warm up.)


    (Taking advantage of the empty surroundings, you continue to explore the cafeteria.)


    (You enter the chef''s rest area.)


    (Still, you don''t find any useful clues.)


    (Desperately, you lie down in the rest area.)


    (You realize that you can''t find any breakthroughs.)


    (Mentally exhausted, you act out in the kitchen.)


    (You pull out your hair and remove the mask from your face.)


    (You realize that you''re undergoing a mutation.)


    (Your vision bes blurred, and you''re about to enter a state of mental breakdown.)


    (The ceiling starts dripping blood.)


    (Your vision turns blood-red.)


    (You notice a phantom of a woman in front of you.)


    (You follow her.)


    (She leads you to a warm ce.)


    (You fall asleep.)


    (You havepletely transformed into a monster.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, gazing at the hospital ceiling, his throat tightening and lips drying up.


    Immediately, his heart began to pound violently, as if his whole body was engulfed in mes.


    "Calm down! Stay calm!"


    Gu Yi bit his lip hard, forcing himself to regain emotional stability.


    The Unspeakable''s erosion had caused him to copse directly during the deduction process.


    Because he had given up hope during the deduction, the Unspeakable took advantage of the opening, turning him into a madman in the deduction and even transforming into a monster before his death.


    Such mental erosion even affected Gu Yi in reality.


    However, Gu Yi''s resilience had long been tempered.


    He forcefully resisted Unspeakable''s erosion with his willpower.


    "Think, what have I overlooked?"


    Gu Yi pinched his nose, calming himself down.


    When his mind was about to sumb, he saw an illusion, one he had never encountered before.


    <i>Could it be that the kitchen puzzle could only be solved after he transformed into a monster?</i>


    "Let''s try again!"


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand in the kitchen''s rest area.)


    (You take out a red pill and swallow it.)


    (You transform into a monster and remove the mask, keeping it safely.)


    (The ceiling starts dripping blood.)


    (Figures fill your vision, but you manage to maintain your sanity.)


    (You find the silhouette of the woman.)


    (You follow behind the woman.)


    (The surroundings constantly change until you finally arrive in an empty room.)


    (The woman sits in the room, smiling silently.)


    (You feel your consciousness gradually drifting away from yourself.)


    (You: Who are you, exactly?)


    (Woman: I am the Dean''s wife. I can answer three questions for you. The first question was just now.)


    (You pause for a moment.)


    (You now have 15 points of mental power remaining. By utilizing the backtracking, you can backtrack three times, which means you can ask nine questions in total.)


    (You: In the office of the second basement, there is aputer. What is its password?)


    (Woman: I don''t know.)


    (You: What is the weakness of the Unspeakable?)


    (Woman: When you can see through all the lies, you will be able to defeat it.)


    (You: How did you die?)


    (Woman: You have already asked three questions.)


    (The woman kicks you out of the room.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and analyzed the previous conversation carefully.


    1. It is impossible to obtain the password from the Dean''s wife.


    2. The key to defeating the Unspeakable lies in "seeing through all the lies" ¨C in other words, finding a way to break free from his own hypnotic state.


    "At least it wasn''tpletely fruitless. Let''s give it another try."


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand in front of the woman.)


    (You: How did you die? Please be specific, including the cause of death and the time.)


    (Woman: I died from an illness. I had congenital heart disease, and I didn''t live long enough to receive a heart transnt. I ultimately died in the kitchen of my home. If I remember correctly, that day should have been the Star Fire Day of Abundant Harvest.)


    (You: What did the Dean do for your illness?)


    (Woman: He brought in the best doctors and nurses to try to cure my disease, but the results were not significant. The only treatment for my condition was a heart transnt. One month before my death, he had told me that he had found a way to treat me.)


    (You: How did you and the Dean know each other?)


    (Woman: We were ssmates in college, just like any ordinary campus romance. He had excellent grades, and I met him during a campus knowledgepetition.)


    (The woman paused for a moment, looking at you curiously.)


    (Woman: How did you know who I am? Why did you start by asking me these three questions?)


    (You paused for a moment.)


    (You: Because I already knew that you could only answer three questions.)

 Chapter 50: The Final Battle (1)

    <h4>Chapter 50: The Final Battle (1)</h4>


    (Woman: Hehe, let me give you a piece of advice. Viewing everyone as puppets in your eyes, such an attitude will eventually lead to your downfall.)


    (The woman disappears.)


    (You return to the rest area in the kitchen.)


    (You regain yourposure.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Cough, cough..."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again, unable to help but cough twice.


    He breathed heavily, covering his mouth, only to discover that he had actually expelled a clump of ck fur.


    <i>Drip...</i>


    <i>Drip...</i>


    The sound of water droplets came from above Gu Yi''s head.


    He looked up.


    The entire ceiling had turned red, with fresh blood continuously dripping down, like a waterfall.


    Xu Nian was already lying in bed, fast asleep,pletely oblivious to Gu Yi.


    "It''s over... The erosion is getting worse."


    Gu Yi lifted the covers and rolled up his pants.


    The ck fur had spread towards his knees, and ck fur had also reappeared on his chest.


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment.


    The umted mental trauma from the deductions was already too much. If he were toe into contact with the Dean''s wife again, he would likely transform into a monster directly.


    The information obtained from the Dean''s wife was already sufficient, and he didn''t need to visit her again.


    "Now, it''s time to resolve all of this."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and decided to venture out personally.


    He only had ten points of mental energy left, enough for one more deduction. However, the mental trauma umted in his body was already significant, and he couldn''t dy any longer.


    The mental trauma received during endless deductions wouldn''t disappear but would umte until it reached a certain threshold and manifest on the individual.


    Now was the time for Gu Yi to bear the bacsh.


    "Calm down, I can do this, just like during the deductions."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.


    The illusion of dripping blood finally disappeared.


    Gu Yi put on the pig head mask and gently opened the door to the ward.


    Dr. Li happened to pass by in the corridor and caught sight of Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi felt a chill run down his body, his palms sweating profusely.


    Dr. Li nced at him deeply, then turned and walked towards the nurse''s station.


    Xu Nian was startled awake by his own movements. He walked over and gently patted Gu Yi''s shoulder.


    "Hush..."


    Gu Yi made a gesture to keep Xu Nian quiet, soothing his emotions.


    <i>¡ªFinally, he understood the advice left by the Dean''s wife.</i>


    He always focused all his energy on deciphering and exploring, but he forgot about a significant loophole.


    How many times had he secretly sneaked out of the ward in reality?


    And how many times had he sneaked out of the ward during deductions?


    Were there any asions when the doctors and nurses noticed him?


    Or perhaps...


    They noticed him but never apprehended him?


    Handling night-roaming patients were not part of the doctor''s duties, so when Gu Yi unlocked the door, even if they saw him, they pretended not to.


    They probably knew all along what he was doing.


    Just like the shop owner of the small shop, silently helping him.


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi whispered to Dr. Li.


    Dr. Li didn''t respond and continued walking toward his office.


    Gu Yi turned his head to look at his fellow patient, Xu Nian.


    Xu Nian didn''t say anything, he just raised his thumb toward Gu Yi.


    After contemting for a while, Gu Yi took out the ward key from his pocket and handed it to Xu Nian, exining to him by movements.


    "There might be somemotion in the hospitalter. If you encounter any danger, use the key to open the door and leave the ward as soon as possible, understood?"


    Xu Nian nodded silently, watching Gu Yi as he left.


    Gu Yi took the elevator to the basement level.


    The corridor here became narrow and seemingly endless again. Gu Yi''s mental state had started to deteriorate, and even wearing the mask couldn''t alleviate the hallucinations.


    Gu Yi pushed open the door to the basement office.


    At this point, the decor of the Dean''s office had be even more bizarre.


    Twisted deer head decorations.


    Blood-red woolen carpets.


    The leather chair was dripping with fresh blood.


    Animal specimens soaked in formalin.


    And the air carried a hot, sulfuric smell.


    The entire office seemed like a scene from hell.


    "Hah..."


    Gu Yi took another deep breath, but the illusion in the office persisted.


    Sitting in front of theputer, a viscous liquid oozed out from under the leather cushion, and Gu Yi didn''t dare to lower his head to inspect it. He was afraid that he would go insane if he saw it.


    <i>"Creak, creak..."</i>


    Before Gu Yi could even ce his hands on the keyboard, the buttons started trembling incessantly.


    The keycaps of the keyboard grew sharper, and theputer screen turnedpletely blood red. Gu Yi couldn''t even see the input box clearly.


    "0716."


    Gu Yi entered this string of numbers.


    This was the day Toto entered the hospital, and also the date of the Dean''s wife''s death.


    Theputer screen started shaking.


    Blood gushed out from beneath the screen, and Gu Yi instinctively moved away from his seat.


    A ghostly figure emerged from theputer screen, holding a bone-cutting knife in its mouth.


    Summoning his courage, Gu Yi approached and grabbed the knife handle, immediately triggering a prompt from the system.


    <i>"You have obtained a special plot item in the instance: Memory."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration degree has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is at 87%."</i>


    <i>"You have gained a temporary enhancement."</i>


    <i>"Your strength, agility, and stamina have increased by 10% across all attributes!"</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Gu Yi felt fireworks exploding in his head, and his body was filled with strength.


    He held the knife behind his back and walked into the elevator.


    When he gripped the knife handle, memories of the Dean flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.


    Just as he suspected, the Dean''s real name was "Chongshan," and like himself, he had traveled from a simr Earth-like to this one. Chongshan had lived on this unfamiliar for over twenty years.


    It wasn''t until his university years that his life gained some color when he met his wife.


    However, at the moment his wife passed away...


    Chongshanpletely broke down. He had already found a way to cure his wife, but she couldn''t wait any longer.


    The Unspeakable power took advantage of the vulnerability.


    Driven by extreme and twisted desires, Chongshan established this "living organ trading center."


    The "Memory" ends here.


    Using the Unspeakable''s power, Chongshan sealed away his humanity and memories in the basement¡ªwhere reality and illusion intertwined.


    With the knife in hand, Gu Yi didn''t go to the Dean''s office to find Chongshan but returned to the cafeteria''s kitchen.


    Gu Yi raised the bone-cutting knife and struck the door of the freezer.


    The bone-cutting knife passed through like a ghost.


    "Memory is like a knife, clearly only useful to Chongshan himself and certain special things."


    A chilling wind blew out from the freezer.


    Involuntarily, Gu Yi shivered. His mental energy was now down to just 12 points, and he decided to use the Infinite Deduction onest time.


    <i>--This might be his final deduction in the instance!</i>


    "Deduction... begin!"


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You stand in front of the freezer door.)


    (You specte that the body of the Dean''s wife may be hidden inside this freezer, and the bone-cutting knife in your hand is the key to opening her tomb chamber.)


    (After opening the tomb chamber, the Dean will undoubtedly appear.)


    (You must be prepared in advance.)


    (If you can kill the Dean in an instant, then all problems can be solved.)


    (You set up a tripwire trap at the entrance of the cafeteria, and ce a giant spider egg behind the door. As long as you throw the toad out, the spider will hatch immediately.)


    (You hold the dog whistle in your mouth, ready to blow it at any moment.)


    (You swallow a red pill and put on the elephant mask.)


    (You make all the necessary preparations and push open the freezer door.)

 Chapter 51: The Final Battle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Final Battle (2)</h4>


    (You walk into the freezer room.)


    (You hold the bone-cutting knife and slide it randomly on the wall.)


    (The de passes through the wall like a ghost.)


    (When you slide it against the wall facing the door, the de suddenly gets stuck.)


    (You pull out the bone-cutting knife and fiercely strike the wall in front of you.)


    (The wall cracks open.)


    (Inside is a huge ice chamber, and in the center of the chamber is a crystal coffin where the Dean''s wife''s body lies.)


    (You use the bone-cutting knife to split open the crystal coffin.)


    (The body turns into snowkes and merges into your bone-cutting knife.)


    (You hear a chaotic sound of footsteps behind you.)


    (The security team has arrived at the entrance of the cafeteria.)


    (The first person to rush into the cafeteria is tripped by the trap.)


    (You take out the toad and smash it onto the spider egg.)


    (The giant spider hatch from the eggs and cause massive carnage.)


    (The security team members scatter and flee.)


    (You blow the whistle.)


    (All the security team members are frozen in ce, suffering heavy casualties.)


    (The Dean emerges from the back of the group and directly summons the Unspeakable.)


    (Dean: You''re seeking death.)


    (You feel surprised.)


    (Your actionspletely enraged the Dean, and he immediately used his most powerful skill as soon as he appeared.)


    (The Unspeakable rushes towards you.)


    (You swing the bone-cutting knife in your hand.)


    (The bone-cutting knife can cause damage to the Unspeakable, but it quickly regenerates.)


    (The Unspeakable points at you.)


    (You quickly dodge aside.)


    (The Unspeakable pounces and grabs your neck.)


    (Unspeakable: Can you escape?)


    (Everything turns pitch ck before your eyes.)


    (You fall into emptiness.)


    (You vigorously swing the bone-cutting knife, trying to resist the invasion of void, but with little effect.)


    (Your consciousness gradually fades away.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    "Ha..."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, calming his excited emotions.


    "Why did it turn out like this? Is it because I did evil?"


    Gu Yi didn''t feel despair despite losing all the deduction opportunities.


    On the contrary, he became even more focused and calm than usual.


    After using "Memory" and finding Dean''s wife''s body, the Dean indeed appeared immediately.


    That guy was very cunning, making the security team members step on thendmines first.


    The traps he set up were useless.


    "Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds have consequences... I only see the retribution you brought upon me, but where is my reward for doing good?"


    Gu Yi clenched the knife handle in anger.


    He used the giant spider to kill the security team, and as soon as the Dean appeared, he immediately used his strongest skill without any buffer.


    ording to "I."


    The dog whistle was already the strongest tool to deal with the security team, so there was no need to kill them.


    Although the Elephant Repairman had high attack power, his movements were not as quick as Gu Yi''s, so there was no need to kill him either.


    There was only one person in the Chongshan Hospital who deserved to die, and that was the Dean.


    All of Gu Yi''s attacking methods could only be used against the Dean alone.


    "Think carefully... think carefully..."


    Gu Yi squinted his eyes, recalling every detail from his previous deduction.


    The security team dispatched over thirty people at once.


    Last time, he had already deduced that the entire security team inside the hospital consisted of only fifteen to twenty people.


    This meant that in order to capture him, the Dean even mobilized the security team stationed at the hospital entrance.


    The power of the Unspeakable was confined within the hospital, and as long as Gu Yi could leave the hospital, the power of the Unspeakable would be greatly reduced, and his chances of survival would increase.


    "Yes, that''s right. The correct way to clear the dungeon should be to escape the hospital first and find a way to kill the Dean outside the hospital."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, understanding everything.


    He took a deep breath, walked into the freezer, and swung the bone-cutting knife to break the wall in front of him.


    The coffin of the Dean''s wife appeared before Gu Yi.


    A chilling cold air blew out from the ice chamber, causing Gu Yi to shiver. He swallowed a red pill and put on the Elephant mask before entering the ice chamber.


    "Let''s do it."


    Gu Yi raised his knife and split open the crystal coffin.


    The Dean''s wife''s body came into contact with the de, turning into a blue sh that merged with the bone-cutting knife.


    A sound of footsteps came from behind him, and Gu Yi quickly took out the dog whistle and blew it with force.


    The security team members were blocked at the door, unable to enter or exit.


    "What are you doing here? Go inside and capture him!"


    Dean Chongshan''s voice came from behind.


    Gu Yi held the bone-cutting knife and leaped over the heads of the security team members, running outside.


    "You bastard! What have you done?"


    Chongshan cursed loudly as he chased after Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi looked back and saw that Chongshan was running at a considerable speed. Themotion in the corridor attracted the attention of all the medical staff.


    When they saw Gu Yiing out, the medical staff all moved aside.


    "Thank you!"


    Gu Yi nodded toward the medical staff and continued running forward without hesitation.


    Chongshan was shocked and cursed, "Why didn''t you stop him?"


    "We don''t have that responsibility," Dr. Li stepped forward and said, "We are only responsible for treating patients."


    "You Son of a Bitch..."


    Chongshan took out a pen and paper from his pocket, preparing to write something.


    Suddenly, a figure rushed out from behind Chongshan and snatched the pen and paper from his hand.


    "What!"


    Chongshan screamed in surprise and turned his head to look.


    Xu Nian snapped Chongshan''s pen in half and at the same time swallowed the piece of paper in Chongshan''s hand.


    Chongshan kicked Xu Nian in the head.


    Xu Nian''s head split open, blood flowing, and he fell to the ground.


    "Quick, take him to the emergency room!"


    Seeing Xu Nian fall to the ground, all the doctors present hurriedly rushed over, lifting Xu Nian and running towards the emergency room.


    Chongshan was momentarily stunned and angrily shouted, "Forget about the patient for now, go catch that patient who was trying to escape!"


    The doctorspletely ignored Chongshan.


    The Unspeakable entity approached Chongshan''s ear and whispered, "If you see a patient injured or falling ill, you must set aside your work and provide treatment. This is a rule written in the Doctor''s First Aid manual."


    "Damn it, I''ll change the rules!"


    Chongshan screamed loudly, running to the nurse station of the hospital and picking up a pen casually.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    A nurse suddenly reached out and grabbed Chongshan''s wrist.


    "What are you doing?"


    "This pen is for filling out forms. As you said, each pen has its designated purpose. Dean, you can''t be the one to break the rules."


    "Damn you!"


    Chongshan cursed as he shook off the nurse''s grasp and picked up a piece of paper to write the rules.


    However, the penpletely refused to obey hismand and couldn''t write anything on the paper.


    "Damn it, you''re all useless!"


    Chongshan forcefully broke the pen.


    He originally created the rule of "each pen has its designated purpose" to prevent medical staff from writing random things and spreading the hospital''s secrets. Who would have thought that it would now be a constraint on himself?


    Chongshan turned his head and looked into the distance. Gu Yi had already passed through the corridor and was about to run out of the hospital building.

 Chapter 52: The Final Battle (3)

    <h4>Chapter 52: The Final Battle (3)</h4>


    "So good?"


    Gu Yi turned his head and noticed that not only did the medical staff not help the Dean, but they even intentionally or unintentionally blocked his path, preventing him from moving forward.


    <i>So, this is the concept of reaping what you sow, ''good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences?''</i>


    The obstruction from these medical staff was highly passive, but at least it slowed down the Dean''s progress. Gu Yi spected that if he hadn''t killed those innocent doctors, maybe all the doctors would have actively assisted him now.


    "Stop right there, you little brat!"


    The Dean rushed out of the hospital gate, his speed not too far behind Gu Yi, only two or three feet apart.


    While running, Gu Yi took out a spider egg and a toad from his pocket.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The spider egg started to crack open.


    Gu Yi quickly smashed the spider egg onto the Dean.


    The Dean instinctively opened his arms and held the spider egg in his embrace.


    "What the hell?"


    The spider egg shook three times.


    A giant spider emerged from the broken egg, its fangs as thick as arms, heading straight for the Dean.


    The Dean was horrified, but Unspeakable acted promptly, materializing into a solid form and punching the giant spider, sending it flying.


    "Squeak, squeak, squeak!"


    The spider let out a cry of pain and flew out of the hospital square.


    Gu Yi had no interest in watching the battle and continued to sprint towards the gate.


    "Stop him!"


    The Dean''s voice came from behind.


    Gu Yi nced up and saw the shop owner standing at the gate with a double-barreled hunting rifle.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The bullet was loaded.


    The shop owner lifted the rifle, aiming at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi broke out in a cold sweat but couldn''t stop his footsteps.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The muzzle spewed mes.


    The bullet grazed Gu Yi''s cheek and flew backward, urately hitting Unspeakable''s chest.


    Unspeakable staggered back two steps, reaching into the wound to extract the bullet.


    <i>Click!</i>


    The shop owner reloaded the ammunition, pointing towards the gate, and said, "Go out. Once you''re out, his power will be nullified. I''ll hold him back for you!"


    As soon as the words fell...


    Therge iron gate of the hospital slowly opened, revealing that the shop owner was holding the remote control for the gate.


    "Thanks!"


    Gu Yi swung his arms and ran faster than Usain Bolt.


    Finally, he burst out of the hospital gate.


    The air outside the hospital was humid and sultry, and Gu Yi was drenched in sweat after running for a while.


    Gu Yi panted heavily, feeling his brute strength gradually dissipating¡ªthe effects of the red pill were wearing off.


    "No, I can''t..."


    Gritting his teeth, Gu Yi persisted and continued running forward. He took out another red pill and stuffed it into his mouth.


    His strength reached its peak once again.


    Gu Yi kept running forward.


    He faintly felt an invisible barrier ahead, preventing him from moving further.


    <i>Creak, creak...</i>


    A series of grating sounds came from behind.


    Gu Yi instinctively turned his head to look.


    Unspeakable was slowly walking towards him step by step.


    He appeared rxed and leisurely, but he was walking even faster than Gu Yi was running.


    A cold sweat dripped down Gu Yi''s forehead, and his heart raced up to his throat.


    "Just a little more, just a little more!"


    Gu Yi shouted loudly and reached out his hand toward the transparent barrier ahead.


    "Argh..."


    Gu Yi''s throat tightened.


    Unspeakable''s dark hand grabbed his throat.


    At some point, the Unspeakable appeared in front of Gu Yi. He was pitch ck, with only his eyes shing red.


    "You? You think you can escape from my prison?"


    "Let... go..."


    Gu Yi raised the bone-cutting knife and swung it forcefully at Unspeakable''s face.


    Unspeakable let out a cry of pain. He forcefully mmed Gu Yi to the ground, and Gu Yi''s elephant mask immediately shattered into eight pieces.


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi''s vision went ck as if two of his ribs had been broken.


    "You''re finished!" Unspeakable said coldly, "Repent in the void!"


    Gu Yi felt a chill all over his body.


    The weightlessness of being swallowed by the void struck him again.


    The void surged towards him like an endless tide, gradually erasing the surrounding scenery, turning everything into nothingness.


    "Calm down! Calm down, Gu Yi!"


    Gu Yi clutched his chest and struggled to get up from the ground.


    The tide of the void rushed towards him.


    He raised the bone-cutting knife and temporarily resisted the invasion of the void.


    However, the void was relentless, gradually eroding Gu Yi''s body and soul.


    "There must be... there must be some information I haven''t noticed, there must be a way to deal with the Unspeakable!"


    "It''s not a hopeless situation yet!"


    "Think, think!"


    "Think, Gu Yi!"


    "Don''t give up!"


    <i>Crack.</i>


    Gu Yi''s kangaroo pants couldn''t withstand the pressure and turned into nothingness, and the masks in his pockets flew out.


    The tide of the void engulfed Gu Yi''s lower body.


    The handmade mask of Totonded on the liquidy surface of the void, and the red bloody words on the back of the mask emitted a dazzling red light.


    <i>[When I take off the mask, I can finally see everything clearly.]</i>


    <i>[Remember, there''s no such thing as a free lunch.]</i>


    <i>[Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences. It''s the only principle you need to abide by.]</i>


    Why?


    Why did Toto write "when I take off the mask" instead of "when you take off the mask" in the first sentence of the mask?


    Throughout the dungeon, Toto always used the second person pronoun to address the adventurer.


    Only in moments of emotional loss of control or writing a diary would the first person pronoun be used.


    The use of the first-person pronoun here must have a specific meaning.


    Gu Yi trembled all over, and an image of Toto''s lifeless body immediately appeared in his mind.


    She had no face.


    Her face had been torn off by someone else.


    <i>No!</i>


    <i>That''s not it!</i>


    She voluntarily shed her own face to see the truth.


    That handmade mask was made of Toto''s own face.


    In the hospital, everyone wore masks.


    Even the patients wore masks, except their masks were their own faces.


    The purpose of the face was to hypnotize the patients, to subject them to social conditioning and deep hypnosis, keeping them perpetually trapped in cognitive disorders, forever unable to see the truth.


    By tearing off their own face, they could see the truth!


    "I understand now."


    Gu Yi gripped the bone-cutting knife in reverse and stabbed it into his own face.


    Without the resistance of the bone-cutting knife, the tide of the void instantly swallowed Gu Yi''s body...


    In the real world.


    Gu Yi''s actions stirred the hearts of billions of humans.


    They watched Gu Yi in awe as he overcame one danger after another and sessfully ran to the entrance of the hospital.


    "Hurry, run faster!"


    "Come on, Gu Yi!"


    "Gu Yi, you''re my hero!"


    The Dragon Country Strategy Team stood in front of the monitor, holding their breath, and Gu Yi''s family gathered behind him.


    "Gu Yi did a great job!"


    The team leader clenched his fist tightly, shattering the writing desk.


    When Gu Yi rushed out of the hospital gate, he also jumped up excitedly.


    "Did he make it? Did he really make it?"


    "A death rate of one hundred percent, and Gu Yi passed!"


    "Wait, leader, look! It seems like something is blocking Gu Yi?"


    Everyone refocused their attention on the monitor.


    Gu Yi was blocked by a transparent wall of air and couldn''t move forward.


    Unspeakable instantly appeared in front of Gu Yi, raised a ck fist, and pushed him into the endless void.


    The entire strategy team fell into silence.


    Gu Yi''s family hugged each other, unable to hold back their tears.


    <i>¡ªNo adventurer who has been pushed into the endless void has ever survived.</i>


    The barrage in the live broadcast was filled with sorrow.


    The team leader couldn''t believe it and held onto the monitor, refusing to leave.


    "Leader... announce the failure of the strategy."


    The team leader remained silent.


    "The Weird powers will soone to our country. We need to quickly find a way to deal with them. The Lighthouse Country has already transmitted thetest information about the weirdness, and we are about to join the research."


    "Gu Yi is not dead yet, and you are already surrendering?" The leader coldly looked at his subordinates. "As long as the live broadcast is still on, there is still hope."

 Chapter 53: The Final Battle (4)

    <h4>Chapter 53: The Final Battle (4)</h4>


    "As long as the live broadcast is still on, Gu Yi is not dead,"


    The team leader''s voice resounded with conviction.


    But everyone knew that it was just the leader''s attempt tofort everyone.


    "Leader..."


    "Wait, look at the live broadcast, something seems off."


    Everyone put down their work and focused their gaze on the live screen.


    A twisted void portal appeared out of nowhere.


    Gu Yi''s hairy arm struggled and extended from the void portal.


    <i>He once again created a miracle!</i>


    ...


    In Weird World.


    Unspeakable turned his head and walked towards Chongshan.


    At this moment, Chongshan had already stepped on his younger brother, his eyes filled with anger.


    "How dare you betray me? How dare you point a gun at your own brother?"


    The shop owner clenched his fist stubbornly. "You''re no longer my brother. You''ve been controlled by that monster."


    "You don''t understand what I''m trying to do. It''s not controlling me, but I''m controlling it."


    Chongshan beckoned to Unspeakable with his finger.


    Unspeakable nodded and walked towards Chongshan.


    <i>Creak...</i>


    The sound of shattered ss echoed.


    Chongshan and Unspeakable simultaneously looked back.


    A void portal appeared out of thin air.


    A ck arm extended from it.


    Gu Yi climbed back from the void, his face covered in blood, holding his own skin in his hand. His terrifying appearance resembled a demon from hell.


    "Chongshan, you look really ugly."


    Gu Yi''s face was covered in blood as he looked at Chongshan.


    At this moment, everything before his eyes underwent a tremendous change.


    Chongshan turned into an emaciated monster with a ck hole in his chest.


    The shop owner became a creature with a literal pig''s head, with a pair of ck shackles on his feet.


    Doctors and nurses from the hospital came out, each with a bird''s head, resembling woodpeckers turned into people.


    As for Unspeakable behind Chongshan - it was nothing but a mass of ck flesh, constantly pulsating like a twisted heart.


    "You... How could you..."


    "It''s time to end this!"


    Gu Yi unleashed all of his wildness and thrust his bone-cutting knife toward Chongshan.


    Unspeakable automatically positioned itself in front of Chongshan.


    The bone-cutting knife effortlessly pierced through Unspeakable.


    The mass of flesh fell to the ground, wriggling incessantly until it dissolved into a pool of blood.


    Chongshan screamed in horror.


    He never expected Gu Yi to possess such courage, intelligence, and bravery! Even after being engulfed by the void, he managed to stay clear-headed and return.


    "It''s your turn, Mr. Dean."


    Gu Yi, holding the knife, approached Chongshan.


    Chongshan struggled desperately and lunged toward Unspeakable''s lifeless body. "No one can kill me in this hospital!"


    Unspeakable reformed and merged with Chongshan, filling the massive cavity in his chest.


    Chongshan''s withered body regained its fullness.


    "Die!"


    Chongshan punched Gu Yi, sending him flying.


    Gu Yi felt an intense pain in his chest. Chongshan''s punch had broken at least three of his ribs. Struggling, he climbed up from the ground and looked up to see Chongshan standing over him with a dominating stance.


    Chongshan,pletely transformed into a monster, was now unbeatable!


    "Do you think you can stop me? Impossible!"


    Chongshan seized Gu Yi by the neck.


    Everything blurred before Gu Yi''s eyes.


    He saw a swift figure sh past.


    Chongshan suddenly froze, standing motionless like a sculpture.


    A gigantic ck-haired monster appeared behind Chongshan, emitting a sound simr to a dog''s bark.


    "Roar! You killed my daughter, you stole my research achievements, and you even imprisoned my soul!"


    "You must go to hell!"


    "As you sow, so shall you reap!"


    "Your retribution hase, Chongshan!"


    While roaring, the ck-haired monster restrained Chongshan''s limbs.


    Gu Yi''s eyes lit up, he gritted his teeth and thrust the knife into Chongshan''s chest.


    The light in Chongshan''s eyes gradually faded as he exhaled hisst breath, copsing limply in Gu Yi''s embrace.


    The ck-haired monster let out a roar and dissipated into the air like smoke and dust.


    Evidently, she was the vengeful spirit of I''s mother.


    If Gu Yi had killed her without hesitation in the past,pletely eliminating Toto''s mother, she wouldn''t have appeared at the final moment to help him.


    "He''s dead?"


    "The Dean is dead..."


    "The Dean is dead!"


    Cheers echoed through the hospital.


    <i>--The gloom that had shrouded the hospital finally dissipated.</i>


    The shackles binding the medical staff''s feet automatically loosened, and they breathed the air of freedom for the first time.


    In the treatment room on the second floor, all the patients were huddled by the windows.


    Each of them had fluffy faces, resembling adorable little furry creatures. They seemed unaware of why the doctors were so excited.


    Gu Yi''s bone-cleansing knife gradually transformed into white light and dissipated, and he found himself back in the room filled with the scent of blood.


    Images of his sessful progress shed before Gu Yi''s eyes, apanied by the system''s notification sound.


    <i>"Congrattions, adventurer, for achieving conditions for perfect custom clearance."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate is 99%."</i>


    <i>"All the Weird events rted to Chongshan Hospital will no longer ur in your reality."</i>


    <i>"Your mental power limit has increased to 60/60."</i>


    <i>"You can choose one of the following options as yourpletion reward."</i>


    <i>"1. Mental Shelter: The mental trauma you experience during deductions will no longer affect you."</i>


    <i>"2. Energized: Your mental power limit increases by 50 points."</i>


    <i>"3. sh of Inspiration: Your inspiration ability increases by 50%, and your resistance to mental trauma increases by 50%."</i>


    Hearing the system prompts, Gu Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    He sat down on the ground, almost copsing.


    Instead of rushing to choose a reward, he engaged in a conversation with the system.


    "System, can I have a conversation with people in the real world?"


    <i>"No, you cannot."</i>


    "Really heartless."


    Gu Yi looked at the three options and pondered carefully.


    Energized was the option Gu Yi initially ruled out.


    Most of the time, he didn''t need such high-intensity deductions. As he became more familiar with the rules, multiple deductions became less crucial.


    Moreover, he possessed the ability to backtrack, which greatly increased the efficiency of his mental power usage.


    If option 2 included an increase in the speed of mental power recovery, it would have been more appealing to him.


    The first option was an excellent attribute.


    If Gu Yi could deduct without being affected by mental trauma, he wouldn''t transform into a monster as quickly, and negative effects like a decrease in mental power limit wouldn''t ur as they did in this dungeon.


    The third option was also very enticing.


    Most dungeons involved strong mental contamination, and an increased resistance to mental trauma can greatly increase one''s tolerance for errors. While ¡®sh of inspiration¡¯ was a double-edged sword, it could be a good thing if used correctly.


    "Which one should I choose?"

 Chapter 54: Who is the Ghost?

    <h4>Chapter 54: Who is the Ghost?</h4>


    "Which one should I choose?"


    After contemting for a while, Gu Yi ultimately chose the first option, "Mental Shelter."


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    A sh of white light passed before Gu Yi''s eyes, and he realized that his mental power had be much stronger than before.


    The voice of the system resonated once again.


    <i>"Adventurer, you can choose to leave the Weird World now or continue your adventure in the Weird World. However, if you leave the Weird World, the weirdness will still invade your reality one yearter."</i>


    <i>"May I ask if you choose to continue the adventure or return to the real world?"</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath. "Of course, I will continue the adventure."


    <i>"You are a brave adventurer."</i>


    Gu Yi felt his body bing weightless and fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    <i>nk, nk.</i>


    The sound of ss marbles falling on the roof could be heard.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom.


    From the furniture to the walls, everything had a wooden structure, resembling an old residence from the Republican era.


    He was lying on the bed, and the sunlight outside was too bright for him to open his eyes fully.


    Information about the Dungeon flooded his mind.


    <i>[Dungeon Name] The Family of Three</i>


    <i>[Dungeon Description] Our family of three has been living in this old house for almost a year. My birthday ising up in a week, and my parents and younger sister seem a bit nervous. My parents have repeatedly urged me not to leave this town, but I discovered that this town is far from being as simple as I thought.</i>


    <i>[Clearance Conditions]</i>


    <i>[1. Perfect Level: Uncover the truth of the town and sessfully eliminate the Unspeakable.</i>


    <i>2. Excellent Level: Sessfully leave the town.</i>


    <i>3. Normal Level: Survive until the birthday.]</i>


    After reading the background information about the Dungeon, Gu Yi couldn''t help but shudder.


    Just the background introduction of the Dungeon raised two major doubts.


    1. The Dungeon is named "The Family of Three," and the protagonist refers to themselves as "the family of three" in the beginning, butter mentions "parents and younger sister." Does this imply that one of "I," my sister, father, or mother is a ghost?


    2. The Dungeon has strict time and space constraints. There seems to be a fatal danger in the town, requiring a quick departure. The protagonist "I" also appears to encounter danger on their birthday, and the investigation time given by the Dungeon is only seven days.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A thunderous explosion reverberated in Gu Yi''s mind as he regained control of his body.


    "Start deduction!"


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to act recklessly. He decided to use his talent for investigation first.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You are climbing out of bed.)


    (You walk to the bedroom door and try to open it.)


    (Something seems to be blocking the door.)


    (The character you are ying has thin arms and a weak physique, unable to push the door open.)


    (You temporarily give up.)


    (You return to the bedside to search.)


    (You find a mobile phone in the bedside cab, with a red countdown disyed on it.)


    (There are 6 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes remaining.)


    (You manipte the phone but can''t ess any other functions.)


    (You hide the phone on your body.)


    (You continue searching for clues and finally, find a diary in the wardrobe.)


    (Only two pages of the diary are clear, with the rest covered in ayer of mist, making it unreadable.)


    <i>([May 11, 2021, sunny.])</i>


    <i>([Mom said my sister had an ident and was critically injured, undergoing treatment in the hospital, so she can''t reunite with us. But I know my sister has long been dead. Because I saw her head crushed by a truck with my own eyes.])</i>


    (The diary entries from May 12th to May 17th are not visible.)


    <i>([May 18, 2021, Cloudy.])</i>


    <i>([Today is my birthday. My parents celebrate it for me, but I don''t want to celebrate. I still can''t ept the fact that my sister is dead. But they insist because today is also the day my sister is getting discharged from the hospital.])</i>


    <i>([I saw that thing, it looks exactly like my sister.])</i>


    <i>([Is she really my sister?])</i>


    (You look back and notice a calendar hanging on the wall.)


    (It''s currently May 11th, 2022. This diary entry was writtenst year, just before "I" moved to this old house.)


    (You gather a few pieces of information.)


    (1. In "I''s" perspective, the sister has died in a truck ident, and the "ghost" in the three-person family is the sister.)


    (2. "I''s" birthday is on May 18th.)


    (3. The parents don''t believe that the younger sister has died. There should be one party between "I" and the parents with a cognitive barrier.)


    (You continue flipping through the diary and find a note.)


    <i>([Old House Lease Instructions])</i>


    <i>(To ensure you have a wonderful year in the old house, please follow the rules below during your stay.)</i>


    <i>(1. The front door of the old house is worn out. If the door can''t be opened, kick the bottom right corner of the door panel and quickly push the door.)</i>


    <i>(2. If you hear two sets of footsteps when going upstairs, immediately stop and wait until the other set of footsteps disappears before proceeding.)</i>


    <i>(3. Please go to sleep before 10:00 PM every night. If you hear your mother calling you in your dream, do not open your eyes. It may not be your mother.)</i>


    <i>(4. Never go to the third floor.)</i>


    <i>(5. The almond water sold at the ten-mile convenience store on the east side of the old house is delicious. Make sure to try it.)</i>


    (You turn over the note but find no additional handwriting.)


    (Apparently, this old house is also affected by weirdness.)


    (You open the front door following the note''s instructions.)


    (You catch a glimpse of your mother passing by in front of you.)


    (Mother: Where is your sister?)


    (You: I don''t know.)


    (Mother: Go wake up your sister. It''s time for school.)


    (You look around, feeling lost.)


    (Mother: Go call your sister. Hurry up.)


    (Your mother points upstairs.)


    (You step onto the staircase.)


    (You hear two sets of footsteps.)


    (You quickly stop your steps.)


    (Mother: Go call your sister. Can''t you hear?)


    (Your mother instantly appears in front of you.)


    (She is bleeding from her seven orifices, hanging upside down from the ceiling and looking at you.)


    (Your pupils dte, and your heart stops.)


    (You are scared to death.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and touched his nose.


    "This kind of face jump scare? How boring."


    With the protection of mental shelter, Gu Yi didn''t care about the psychological harm caused by the vengeful ghost mother.


    He got up from the bed, putting away his phone and diary while pondering the deduction he just experienced.


    <i>Why did his mother suddenly turn into a vengeful ghost?</i>


    <i>Was it because he didn''t act ording to her demands in time?</i>


    But the rental instructions clearly stated that he should stop when hearing two sets of footsteps on the stairs.


    Moreover, if even his mother could transform into a vengeful ghost...


    <i>Then who among the family of three is the excluded one?</i>

 Chapter 55: Breakfast

    <h4>Chapter 55: Breakfast</h4>


    "Backtracking."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and started backtracking again.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You enter the living room and encounter your mother.)


    (Mother: Where is your sister?)


    (You: She''s probably still sleeping upstairs.)


    (Mother: Go wake up your sister. She has to go to school soon.)


    (You walk to the staircase and shout loudly upstairs.)


    (Mother frowns.)


    (Mother: Can''t you go upstairs and knock on her door?)


    (You: Can''t be bothered.)


    (Footstepse from upstairs, but you don''t see anyone.)


    (Shortly after, your fatheres downstairs.)


    (You sit at the table for breakfast, and there''s an empty seat that you assume belongs to your sister.)


    (Father: Let''s go. I''ll take you both to school.)


    (Mother: How about going with me?)


    (Father: Who do you and your sister want to ride with?)


    (You remain silent.)


    (Father: Who do you want to ride with?)


    (You: Doesn''t matter.)


    (Father: Don''t say ''doesn''t matter.'')


    (Father grips the chopsticks and pierces through the table.)


    (Apparently, your father is also not an ordinary human like your mother.)


    (You: Then I''ll ride with you?)


    (Father nods.)


    (You follow your father outside.)


    (You get into your father''s car.)


    (The car suddenly catches fire.)


    (You try to open the door to escape.)


    (Your father''s face is burnt to charcoal.)


    (Father: Why didn''t you fasten your seatbelt?)


    (Your father helps you fasten the seatbelt.)


    (You can''t free yourself and can''t open the door.)


    (You struggle and scream.)


    (You are burned to death.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Unlocked another method of death... Should I try riding in Mother''s car instead?"


    Gu Yi frowned.


    This time, the pace of the dungeon is noticeably faster, and there were no obvious hints given to him at all.


    So far, Gu Yi had only obtained a mobile phone, a vague diary, and a lease agreement for the old house.


    As soon as he entered the living room, the plot immediately started without giving him any chance to search for clues.


    Regardless of the situation, in the previous hospital dungeon, there would at least be clear rule prompts when switching scenes.


    <i>Still</i>,


    <i>I possess the talent to deduce endlessly.</i>


    <i>If it were any other adventurer, encountering two death gs consecutively upon entering the living room, where would they have a chance to survive?</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath. The difficulty of this dungeon had clearly increased.


    Too little information.


    Too many dangers.


    Too little time.


    The pace was too fast.


    "Let''s try riding in Mother''s car this time."


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You sit at the dining table.)


    (Father: Who do you and your sister want to ride with?)


    (You: Let Mom take us to school.)


    (Mother nods.)


    (You finish breakfast.)


    (You get into your mom''s car, and she reminds you to fasten your seatbelt.)


    (Mother starts the car, steps on the elerator, and rushes towards a small pond by the roadside.)


    (You: Mom, the car is heading into the water!)


    (Mother pays no attention.)


    (You try to control the steering wheel, but your body is too weak, unable to match your mother''s strength.)


    (The car plunges into the water.)


    (You desperately struggle and knock on the window with your hand.)


    (The car gets submerged in water, and your mother continues to hold the steering wheel as if nothing happened.)


    (You feel suffocated.)


    (You die.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Neither option is correct?"


    Gu Yi stood in ce, afraid to open the door.


    Instead of rushing into another backtracking, he carefully pondered every detail of what just happened, analyzing the reasons behind triggering the instant death plot.


    Firstly, he couldn''t see his sister, which is an obvious contradiction.


    <i>ording to the wording in the diary, "I" should be able to see the sister, but why couldn''t he see her during the deductions?</i>


    <i>Furthermore, the lease agreement for the old house mentioned hearing footsteps when going upstairs. Does this sound refer to the invisible sister?</i>


    <i>In that case, do the parents also hear the sound of footsteps?</i>


    <i>Do the rules mentioned in the lease agreement only apply to him or to everyone in the house?</i>


    <i>Or perhaps...</i>


    <i>Could it be that the parents also can''t see the sister, but they pretend that they can?</i>


    <i>If the sister truly doesn''t exist, then why would the parents still send her to school?</i>


    <i>Are the other people in the town unable to see the sister as well?</i>


    "No, it''s impossible. This assumption is too far-fetched, so... the one in the family with cognitive impairment is me?"


    Gu Yi temporarily rejected his own thoughts.


    At present, there isn''t enough evidence to prove anything, so Gu Yi can only temporarily assume that he has cognitive impairment.


    "Once I make this assumption, the problem can probably be solved.


    When the Father asked, ''Who do you and your sister want to ride with?'' I never asked about my sister''s preference, which triggered the death g.


    Even when getting into the carter, I never let my sister get in.


    That should be where I made a mistake."


    To confirm his hypothesis, Gu Yi began backtracking again.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You sit at the dining table.)


    (Father: Who do you and your sister want to ride with?)


    (You look towards the empty seat on your right.)


    (You: Who do you want to ride with?)


    (You pretend to see your sister, but there is no response.)


    (Mother: Forget about your sister. Today, you just go with me.)


    (You finish breakfast.)


    (Mother starts the car.)


    (Instead of sitting in the front passenger seat, you open the back door and wait for a while.)


    (You hear a series of footsteps and look towards the empty air in the backseat.)


    (You: Hurry and sit properly, remember to fasten your seatbelt.)


    (Mother: You go ahead and get in the car. It doesn''t matter if you fasten your seatbelt in the back.)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You get into the car.)


    (Mother drops off your sister at Huan Dao Elementary School and takes you to Huan Dao High School.)


    (You step out of your mother''s car.)


    (You terminate the backtracking.)


    "Phew... Finally found the key to the problem."


    Gu Yi stuffed his phone into his pocket, put the diary into his backpack, and then opened the door to leave his bedroom.


    His mother looked at him impatiently andined in a low voice, "Why did you wake up sote?"


    "I couldn''t find my socks, so it took me a while."


    "What about your sister?"


    "She should still be sleeping upstairs."


    "Go wake your sister up. She''s about to bete for school."


    Gu Yi nodded and walked to the staircase, shouting loudly, "Wake up! Otherwise, you''ll bete for school!"


    Gu Yi''s voice was highly prating.


    His mother covered her ears and looked at him disdainfully, "Can''t you go up and call her?"


    "Toozy to go."


    Gu Yi shook his head and sat at the dining table.


    <i>Tap, Tap.</i>


    Footsteps could be heard from upstairs.


    Gu Yi turned his head to look, but no one came down from upstairs.


    His mother looked at him with a furrowed brow and said irritably, "You are just sitting there like a fool. Don''t you know how to get the dishes and chopsticks?"


    "Yes, right away."

 Chapter 56: Anonymous User’s Text Message

    <h4>Chapter 56: Anonymous User''s Text Message</h4>


    Gu Yi grabbed four sets of dishes and chopsticks and ced them on the table.


    Just as he and his mother sat down, his father came down from upstairs and sat next to his mother.


    There was an empty seat to the right of Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi sneakily nced at the dishes and chopsticks, whichy lonely on the table, untouched by anyone.


    "Why aren''t you eating?"


    "Huh?"


    Gu Yi picked up his dishes and chopsticks and looked at his mother, only to realize that she wasn''t even looking at him. She was speaking to the invisible sister.


    "Forget it, if you don''t want to eat, then don''t."


    His mother shook her head and continued with her breakfast.


    Gu Yi felt a cold sweat running down his back.


    This little incident hadn''t happened in his previous deductions.


    Although it wouldn''t have any impact on him, it made him more vignt.


    Before leaving the bedroom, Gu Yi had taken a few extra seconds to organize his props, causing the plot to change due to the butterfly effect.


    "It seems like I need to be more careful in the future..."


    "What are you saying?"


    "Nothing."


    His father gave him a strange look, sipping his millet porridge and asking, "Who do you and your sister want to ride with?"


    Gu Yi turned his head to his right.


    "Who do you want to ride with?"


    Just as in the previous deduction, his sister didn''t say a word.


    His mother impatiently shook her head. "Forget about her, she''s like a m. Both of you can ride with me."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    His mother had a more irritable temperamentpared to his father, who seemed moreposed.


    However, both of his parents seemed to have some inexplicable powers.


    Breakfast was finished.


    Gu Yi followed his mother out of the old house.


    He looked back for a moment.


    The old house had three floors.


    He lived on the first floor, while his parents and sister lived on the second floor.


    The lease contract mentioned not to go to the third floor, but Gu Yi was even more curious about it.


    It was certain that there was danger on the third floor.


    But there must also be opportunities and clues.


    It would be foolish to avoid it just because of the danger.


    "Gu Yi, what are you daydreaming about?"


    "I''ming, Mom."


    The protagonist and his name were both "Gu Yi," which was likely the result of the system''s maniption.


    Gu Yi, as in the deduction before, opened the car door and let his invisible sister in first before getting into the car himself.


    "Check your backpacks quickly, don''t leave anything behind, and make me take it to school for you."


    "Yes."


    Gu Yi opened his backpack and checked it. He took out his exercise book.


    [Name: Gu Yi]


    [ss: Grade 12, ss 2]


    The protagonist is a student who is about to take the college entrance examination.


    June is the time for the college entrance examination, and the exam is only a month away.


    The mother drove silently on the road, not saying a word.


    Gu Yi leaned against the window, looking out at the scenery.


    The town was called Huan Dao Town. Judging by the name, it should be a seaside town, but in reality, it was surrounded by mountains.


    The pedestrians on the road had no expression, as if they were cheap dolls, walking stiffly.


    Gu Yi asionally made eye contact with those pedestrians, but each time, he felt a chill down his spine.


    <i>¡ªThese people were not living beings; there was no light in their eyes.</i>


    "We''re here."


    His mother stepped on the brakes.


    Gu Yi snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the campus in front of him¡ªHuan Dao High School.


    "Goodbye, Mom."


    "Hmm, goodbye."


    Gu Yi waved goodbye to his mother and walked into the campus.


    Gu Yi didn''t know any of the students or teachers in the school, so he kept his head down and didn''t dare to greet anyone. But it seemed that no one paid much attention to him either.


    Clearly, the character he was ying was an introverted person.


    Gu Yi found the ssroom for Grade 12, ss 2.


    At this time, the students had just entered the ssroom, doing their usual routine of submitting assignments and cleaning.


    Gu Yi didn''t rush into the ssroom; instead, he stood silently at the door.


    <i>¡ªHe didn''t know where he should sit.</i>


    "Why are you standing at the door?"


    A ssmate came up to Gu Yi.


    "I..."


    "Stop talking nonsense. Take out your workbook and let me copy it quickly."


    The ssmate pulled Gu Yi to sit at the back of the ssroom and smoothly took the exercise book out of Gu Yi''s backpack.


    Gu Yi sat in his seat and picked up a book from the desk. This was his seat.


    Gu Yi looked at his deskmate.


    This child''s name was Chen Dong, and he was just like the pedestrians on the road, always staring with lifeless eyes.


    Gu Yi took out his phone and checked the time.


    [6 days, 23 hours, 23 minutes.]


    It took him about half an hour to travel from home to school.


    Gu Yi looked around the ssroom and suddenly felt a chill in his heart.


    He noticed a very unusual detail.


    There was no clock in the ssroom.


    The countdown to the college entrance exam on the ckboard remained empty.


    The only way he could know the time was through the countdown on his phone.


    "Why isn''t there a clock in the ssroom?"


    "What do you need a clock for?" Chen Dong said while copying the homework. "The school bell is very urate. Just listen to the bell, and you''ll know the time."


    "Do you have your phone with you?"


    "Yeah, why?"


    "Let me see it."


    Without much thought, Chen Dong handed his phone to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi opened it and indeed, just as he had suspected, even his deskmate''s phone didn''t disy the time and date. It only showed a countdown.


    It seemed that the Unspeakable didn''t want him to know the real-time.


    When he first entered the dungeon, he only saw that calendar.


    That was the only thing that hinted at the date.


    <i>Could the calendar be misleading?</i>


    <i>Was it even true that his birthday is in seven days?</i>


    <i>And in seven days, would he really encounter a catastrophic event?</i>


    <i>But what exactly is this catastrophic event?</i>


    The more Gu Yi thought about it, the more confused he became.


    <i>Beep beep beep.</i>


    Suddenly, Gu Yi''s phone rang.


    He opened it to check.


    It turned out to be an anonymous text message.


    At this time, Gu Yi''s phone had a new function to view text messages. He opened the message and his whole body went cold.


    <i>[Sister''s Diary.]</i>


    <i>[May 11, 2021, Sunny.]</i>


    <i>[Brother is dead. He pushed me out to save me but got caught under the wheels of a big truck. His head was crushed.]</i>


    <i>[I''m really sad. It would have been so much better if he hadn''t died.]</i>


    <i>[May 18, 2021, Cloudy.]</i>


    <i>[Today is Brother''s birthday, but unfortunately, Brother didn''t have a chance to blow out the candles. Mom and Dad suddenly brought Brother to me, and I cried in fear.]</i>


    <i>[Mom, that''s not Brother. What exactly is he?]</i>


    <i>[Mom said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can you say such things about your brother?"]</i>


    <i>[I can''t believe all of this.]</i>


    Gu Yi put down his phone, and his mind was in chaos.


    <i>Whose diary is the real one?</i>


    <i>Between me and my sister, who is the "ghost"?</i>


    <i>Who is the person who died in the ident?</i>

 Chapter 57: Picking Up Sister from School (1)

    <h4>Chapter 57: Picking Up Sister from School (1)</h4>


    Gu Yi gradually calmed down and opened his phone to send a message to the anonymous user.


    "Who are you?"


    The person never replied.


    Gu Yi exited the inbox and checked the countdown.


    [6 days, 12 hours, 20 minutes.]


    "What the heck?"


    Gu Yi was surprised and looked up, only to find that the sun was already setting on the horizon, and his ssmates were packing up their bags to get ready to leave school.


    <i>He had only looked down at his phone for a moment, so why was it suddenly time to go home?</i>


    "Is it an illusion? No, this might be the doing of the Unspeakable."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and checked his mental power.


    45/60.


    He had used one deduction and two backtracking deductions at the beginning, consuming a total of 20 mental power points.


    Now, his mental power has a recovery rate of 10 points per hour when he is awake. In other words, from leaving home until now, only about half an hour had passed.


    <i>¡ªHe had been in school for at most 10 minutes. How could his 11 hours suddenly disappear?</i>


    Gu Yi felt a sense of helplessness.


    In the previous dungeon, he was always confined to a limited space.


    But this time, Gu Yi was confined within an extremely bizarre flow of time.


    If he couldn''t unravel the secrets of this time flow, he would probably die without aplishing anything or solving any mysteries.


    <i>Even if he has unlimited deduction talent, what''s the use?</i>


    "Calm down, calm down... Don''t panic."


    Gu Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    At this moment, his phone rang, and it was his mother calling.


    Gu Yi answered the call.


    "Mom?"


    "Your dad and I will be workingte today. Go pick up your sister from school."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi hung up the phone and walked out of the school, only to find the road ahead strangely distorted.


    Everyone had turned into pixted jigsaw puzzles, randomly walking back and forth on the road. Despite Gu Yi''s strong mental power, he was almost scared unconscious.


    Gu Yi took two steps back and stood inside the school gate.


    "Start deduction!"


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You feel scared.)


    (You''re worried about encountering strange attacks on the road, so you use your talent to explore.)


    (You walk on the street.)


    (You notice that when you brush past pedestrians, they return to their normal appearance, but once they are more than ten meters away from you, they turn into pixted puzzles.)


    (You walk while keeping an eye on the time on your phone.)


    (Time stops passing when you stop walking.)


    (When you walk towards your sister''s school, the countdown restarts.)


    (Whether you walk fast or slow, the countdown continues at its own pace, but you have a vague feeling that the countdown is progressing much faster than your perception.)


    (You choose to turn around and walk back.)


    (The countdown is still progressing.)


    (Countdown [6 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes] You look up.)


    (You realize that you are standing at the entrance of your sister''s school, even though you were clearly walking in the opposite direction.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Why is this happening?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow and picked up his phone, carefully contemting the situation.


    At present, his mental power was at 35/60, and he decided to test the countdown using his mental power recovery rate.


    Gu Yi stood in ce, and the countdown remained stagnant. However, his mental power had recovered by 5 points, indicating that he had been standing there for half an hour.


    Gu Yi nced at his phone, suddenly grasping the significance of the countdown.


    It wasn''t a conventional countdown; rather, it seemed more like a "consumable item" for taking actions.


    Let''s consider a couple of examples.


    The action of "going to school" consumed 11 hours.


    Regardless of what he did within the school, as long as he spent a minimum of 10 minutes there, the countdown would deduct 11 hours. The dungeon''s time would also progress by 11 hours, reaching the evening, but it wouldn''t affect Gu Yi''s personal time.


    The action of "picking up his sister" required 10 minutes.


    Regardless of the direction he walked, as long as he was on the road, he would eventually arrive at his sister''s school gate, and the countdown would deduct 10 minutes.


    Gu Yi also spected that ''actions'' cannot be determined casually, only ''actions'' recognized by his parents would count.


    During the day, it was his parents demand for him to attend school.


    In the evening, it was his mother''s phone call instructing him to pick up his sister.


    This countdown wasn''t merely a tool to restrict him; it was something he could utilize. By arranging his actions wisely, Gu Yi realized he could effectively have unlimited time.


    Just like the current situation.


    As long as Gu Yi remained still and refrained from walking, the countdown would halt.


    "Fascinating. I understand now."


    Gu Yi murmured, his brow finally rxing. He had discovered the correct approach to explore the ind town. Stepping out of the school gate, he took a walk along the road.


    Ten minutester, Gu Yi found himself instantly transported to the entrance of Huan Dao Elementary School.


    Checking his phone, he read the countdown [6 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes].


    The countdown had paused.


    Gu Yi spected that as long as he didn''t enter the elementary school, time wouldn''t continue to pse.


    Just to be safe, Gu Yi decided to initiate another deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You don''t rush into the elementary school.)


    (You took a couple of random steps, but whenever you step outside the school gate, you will be back at the original point.)


    (Although the countdown is frozen, your range of movement remains limited.)


    (Regarding the rules of action, you still need more experimentation to confirm.)


    (You enter the elementary school.)


    (All the ssrooms in the school were closed, except for the lights in ss 2 of the third grade.)


    (You push open the door and enter the ssroom, only to see a female teacher sitting at the podium.)


    (Female teacher: Are you Gu Yao''s brother?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Female teacher: Your sister has been waiting for you for a while. Yao Yao, quickly pack up your things.)


    (You hear a series of footsteps again.)


    (The female teacher holds an invisible hand and hands it to you.)


    (You pretend to take it.)


    (Female teacher: You two siblings really look alike.)


    (You: Thank you.)


    (You nod, holding the empty air, and leave the school.)


    (Your phone rings again.)


    (You open it and see that it was another message from the anonymous user.)


    ([Run quickly.])


    (You are at a loss.)


    (A gust of eerie wind blew.)


    (Suddenly, you find yourself in the middle of the road.)


    (A truck races by.)


    (You can''t move.)


    (You are run over by the truck.)


    (Everything turns blood red before your eyes.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, and the images from just now kept shing in his mind.


    The street was very familiar, clearly the entrance of the school!


    Gu Yi turned his head and looked around, only to see the truck that had run him over at the street corner.

 Chapter 58: Picking Up Sister from School (2)

    <h4>Chapter 58: Picking Up Sister from School (2)</h4>


    <i>What does the anonymous user mean?</i>


    <i>Why did they give me a warning?</i>


    <i>Why did I suddenly appear on the street and got hit by a truck?</i>


    <i>Who is the anonymous user?</i>


    It''s too sudden...


    Not a single clue.


    <i>Do I have to rely solely on intuition to figure it out?</i>


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow.


    His mind was now a tangled mess and he needed to organize his thoughts.


    He took out a pen and paper from his backpack and wrote down all the puzzles he had encountered, arranging them in order of important and urgent, as well as important but not urgent.


    <strong>Important and urgent:</strong>


    <i>1. How was the instant death g triggered resulting in a truck ident?</i>


    <i>2. How can I see my sister?</i>


    <i>3. How to make use of and understand the information from the anonymous user?</i>


    <strong>Important but not urgent:</strong>


    <i>1. The secret of the old house.</i>


    <i>2. Who is the "ghost" in the family of three? Are the characters in the dungeon such as parents or sister trustworthy?</i>


    <i>3. Theplete rules of the countdown.</i>


    <i>4. The true identity of the anonymous user and the faction they belong to.</i>


    Gu Yi folded the bottom half of the paper and focused on the top half.


    <i>1. How was the instant death g triggered resulting in the truck ident?</i>


    In fact, Gu Yi already had some answers.


    When he was picking up his sister, he didn''t engage in any interaction with her. Just like when he left the house without asking his sister any questions, it triggered the instant death g.


    However, Gu Yi had no idea how to interact with thin air.


    <i>If his interaction with his sister seemed incongruent to others, would the problem be even more severe?</i>


    He can only use deduction to verify this question.


    <i>2. How can I see my sister?</i>


    This point was extremely urgent.


    If he don''t know how to interact andmunicate with his sister, then more instant death gs like this would ur in the future, and he would eventually die due to negligence.


    So far, Gu Yi had never discussed his sister''s situation with any of the characters in the story. He needed to gather information about his sister from various sources.


    <i>3. How to make use of and understand the information from the anonymous user?</i>


    First, before encountering the instant death g, the anonymous user had given him a hint to escape. From this perspective, the anonymous user could temporarily be considered as part of his faction.


    Second, the anonymous user could onlymunicate with him in one direction, and Gu Yi currently couldn''t interact with ormunicate back to the anonymous user. Gu Yi believed that the anonymous user would be a key figure in the dungeon.


    Third, finding a method tomunicate with the anonymous user was one of his uing goals.


    "That''s all the information for now."


    Gu Yi looked at the notes on the paper and let out a long sigh of relief.


    If he couldn''t find any hint notes in the dungeon, then he could only rely on his own exploration and summarize all the patterns in the dungeon.


    "Let''s deduce!"


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You enter the elementary school.)


    (The countdown starts again.)


    (You arrive at the ssroom where your sister is.)


    (The female teacher sees you and immediately stands up to greet you.)


    (Female Teacher: Oh? You must be Gu Yao''s brother?)


    (You: Hello, teacher. I''m Gu Yi. Where is my sister?)


    (Female Teacher: Isn''t she right here? She''s been waiting for you for a long time.)


    (The female teacher waves her hand towards the empty space and walks towards you, holding thin air.)


    (You: Has Yao Yao been behaving well today?)


    (The female teacher nces at the empty space.)


    (Female Teacher: Hehe, of course, she''s been very well-behaved.)


    (You: That''s good.)


    (You chat with the female teacher for a while, and she gradually opens up to you.)


    (Female Teacher: Has something happened in your family recently?)


    (You: Why do you ask?)


    (Female Teacher: Well...e with me for a moment. Yao Yao, you wait here. I''ll be back soon.)


    (The female teacher takes you to the office and takes out a drawing from a pile of assignments.)


    (Female Teacher: This is her artwork from today''s art ss. I feel like she may be facing some psychological issues recently. You should talk to your parents about it.)


    (You pick up the drawing.)


    (On it is a man lying on the ground with his head smashed like a watermelon, with arge truck parked next to him.)


    (Your phone rings.)


    (You open it and check.)


    (The anonymous user has sent a photo, and theposition of the photo is exactly the same as your sister''s artwork.)


    (Your fingers tremble as you turn off the phone and put it in your pocket.)


    (Female Teacher: Oh? Yao Yao, how did youe here?)


    (You turn to look at the office door, but you see nothing.)


    (Female Teacher: It seems like Yao Yao couldn''t wait any longer.)


    (You: Teacher, we''ll go now.)


    (Female Teacher: Goodbye.)


    (You walk out of the office and reach out to thin air.)


    (You feel a chilling breeze.)


    (You remain silent for a moment.)


    (You: Let''s go home.)


    (No response.)


    (You: Did you learn something new at school today?)


    (You still cannot hear any sound.)


    (Your phone rings again.)


    (You take it out and check. The anonymous user has sent you another message.)


    ([Be careful.])


    (You look up.)


    (You are back to the entrance of the elementary school, and arge truck is rushing towards you.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Is my way of interaction wrong?"


    Gu Yi frowned and shook his head slightly.


    The photo sent by the anonymous user sent shivers down Gu Yi''s spine.


    After contemting for a moment, Gu Yi made a bold assumption.


    The anonymous user is someone from another parallel timeline¡ªperhaps even his sister from the parallel timeline.


    The diary of his sister.


    The photo of "I" being hit by a car.


    Both of these pieces of evidence prove one thing: in the world of the anonymous user, the person who dies is "I" that is me.


    "It''s useless. Even if my assumption is correct, it''s of no use in the current situation. The important thing is how to interact with my sister. I''m already trying my best tomunicate with her."


    Gu Yi grits his teeth and ponders for a moment.


    <i>Think about it, why didn''t the previous interactions trigger the instant death g?</i>


    <i>But this time it did?</i>


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    <i>Could the reason be this?</i>


    "I understand now, let''s backtrack!"


    (Backtracking deduction begins!)


    (You stand in the teacher''s office holding your sister''s artwork.)


    (Female Teacher: It seems like Yao Yao couldn''t wait any longer.)


    (You turn back and wave at the empty space.)


    (You: Come here, Yao Yao.)


    (You hear footsteps.)


    (You hold the artwork and show it to your sister.)


    (You: Why did you draw this?)


    (The expression on the female teacher''s face changes, and she quickly squats in front of your sister, pretending to wipe away her tears.)


    (Female Teacher: Alright, alright. Your brother isn''t ming you, he''s just concerned about you.)


    (You squat in front of the empty space.)


    (You: Okay, I didn''t mean that. Don''t cry, okay?)


    (You nce at the female teacher, and her tense expression finally rxes.)


    (Female Teacher: Yao Yao, don''t be afraid.)


    (The female teacher opens her arms and gently hugs the empty space.)

 Chapter 59: Picking Up Sister from School (3)

    <h4>Chapter 59: Picking Up Sister from School (3)</h4>


    (You notice the teacher''s clothes, there are no creases on them at all.)


    (In your eyes, your sister doesn''t have a physical presence, rather than simply being unable to see her.)


    (You have a severe cognitive impairment, to the point where you can''t even confirm your sister''s existence through a third party.)


    (I can''t figure out this problem for now, let''s solve the immediate challenge first.)


    (You reach out your hand into the air.)


    (You: Come here.)


    (You pay attention to the teacher''s gaze, trying to determine your sister''s position to confirm she is back by your side.)


    (Teacher: It''s gettingte, you should take Yao Yao home.)


    (You: Okay, Yao Yao, do you want to go home now?)


    (You look at the empty space beside you, while from the corner of your eye, you keep watching the teacher. Unfortunately, the teacher doesn''t pay attention to you.)


    (You can''t determine your sister''s reaction through the teacher''s expression andnguage.)


    (You take your sister''s hand and walk to the school gate, greeting the security guard.)


    (You: Yao Yao, don''t you want to say goodbye to Uncle?)


    (The security guard turns his head and looks at the empty space beside you.)


    (Security guard: Goodbye, be careful on the way.)


    (You: Isn''t Uncle off work yet?)


    (Security guard: Hey, we all get off work at seven.)


    (After saying that, the security guard turns his head and ignores you.)


    (You feel a chill down your spine.)


    (Your phone rings.)


    (Your palms are sweaty as you take out your phone and nce at it.)


    ([Run.])


    (The anonymous user has sent another message.)


    (You can''t control your limbs, and a truck races past you.)


    (You are hit by the truck and sent flying to the ground.)


    (Your vision turns blood-red.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    "I seem to overlook something..."


    This time, Gu Yi was still unable to sessfully leave elementary school, but he had found the correct method ofmunicating with his sister.


    That was by judging his sister''s reaction through the responses of the people around him.


    As he was leaving the campus, without a third party as a reference, his sister must have been asking him a question, but he failed to provide a timely response, triggering the instant death g.


    "Now that I know the method, it is easier to handle. It''s time for me to take the initiative."


    Gu Yi had 15 points of mental energy remaining, enough for one deduction or three backtrack deductions. To ensure fault tolerance, Gu Yi decided to lean against the school gate and take a short nap.


    After a while, Gu Yi opened his eyes, fully restoring his mental energy.


    He took out his phone to check, and indeed, the countdown still disyed [6 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes.]


    "Backtracking. This time, it''s my turn to take the initiative."


    (Deduction Begins!)


    (You are standing at the entrance of your sister''s ssroom.)


    (Teacher: Oh? You''re Gu Yao''s brother?)


    (You: Yes, hello, teacher.)


    (You turn your head to look at the ssroom and walk towards the table in the far corner.)


    (As you enter, you finally notice a red school bag.)


    (This is the thing you have been overlooking.)


    (Since your sister is perceived as a real presence by others, she must interact with other people or objects. But what would happen if you were to interact with her before she interacts with anything else?)


    (There is only one school bag in the ssroom.)


    (You didn''t notice this detail during your previous deduction because you were denying your sister''s existence from the bottom of your heart, so you didn''t bother to observe the ssroom.)


    (You help your sister organize her school bag.)


    (You hear the sound of tables or chairs moving and footsteps.)


    (You can perceive your sister to some extent now.)


    (You help your sister tidy up her school bag, and you find an empty bottle of almond water inside.)


    (You: Did you finish drinking your water? Are you thirsty?)


    (You hypnotize yourself, telling yourself that you are a caring brother, and your tone bes very gentle.)


    (You don''t hear your sister speaking.)


    (The teacher approaches you from behind.)


    (Teacher: Gu Yao seems to have been feeling downtely. Is there something happening at home?)


    (You remain silent for a moment.)


    (You notice another detail: whenever you actively ask your sister a question, the reactions of third parties are strange as if your sister has be silent.)


    (Just like when you asked for her opinion at the dinner table, and even your mother was annoyed by your sister''s silence.)


    (You: Maybe it''s because my parents are busy with work. They only apany her to school during the day, but I''m the one who picks her up at night.)


    (Teacher: When can your parentse to the school?)


    (You: I''m basically in charge of taking care of my sister. I help her with her homework.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a tug on your sleeve. You turn around and it seems like something transparent is holding onto your clothes.)


    (You feel certain in your heart that you can finally sense your sister''s presence.)


    (Teacher: In that case, why don''t youe with me, and Yao Yao can wait here for a while?)


    (You: There''s no need. Let here with us.)


    (You put your sister''s red school bag on your back and follow the teacher to the office.)


    (The female teacher takes out the eerie painting of your sister, and at the same time, your phone rings, but you don''t check it.)


    (Holding the painting, you contemte for a moment, then squat down to look at the air in front of you.)


    (You: Yao Yao, who is the one you drew?)


    (You don''t hear any response.)


    (Female teacher: Gu Yao, your brother is asking you a question. Why aren''t you responding?)


    (Suddenly, You feel a coolness on the back of your hand, as if some liquid is dripping on it.)


    (You taste it, it''s salty, it must be tears.)


    (You be alert.)


    (You: You drew me, right?)


    (Your sister''s image suddenly bes clear in front of you, and she is looking at you with a terrified expression.)


    (Sister: No, it''s not you, brother!)


    (The void tides spread around you.)


    (You feel a wave of suffocation.)


    (You are being consumed by the void.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    "It seems like another instant death g has been added, but why is that..."


    Gu Yi stroked his chin.


    Now, Gu Yi can basically confirm that the person with cognitive impairment in the family of three is "I," or perhaps "I" may be the Unspeakable?


    No, that can''t be right.


    The condition for clearing the dungeon is to "eliminate the unspeakable," so it doesn''t make sense for "I" to be the unspeakable.


    The anonymous user on the phone is likely the "sister" from a parallel timeline, rather than the "sister" from this town.


    <i>Could it be that the memories of the two sisters have ovepped?</i>


    <i>The reason for triggering the instant death g might be that he revealed the true meaning of the sister''s artwork, which suggests that in her perception, "I" might be the person who was killed in a car ident.</i>


    <i>If that''s the case...</i>


    <i>Is this dungeon telling the intersecting stories of two parallel timelines?</i>


    <i>Would the sister in the other timeline also have an invisible brother?</i>


    <i>Why does speaking the truth trigger the instant death g instead of fulfilling one of the conditions for clearing the dungeon, which is to unravel the truth?</i>

 Chapter 60: Picking Up Sister from School (4)

    <h4>Chapter 60: Picking Up Sister from School (4)</h4>


    "This doesn''t make sense. This hypothesis is unreasonable.


    There''s no way, after deciphering the puzzle, the system wouldn''t reward me but instead, trigger an instant death g. The information provided by the anonymous user cannot be connected to this world, that''s what the system might be implying.


    The anonymous user is actually throwing a smokescreen at me, aren''t they?"


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment.


    Currently, this contradiction cannot be resolved temporarily, and it doesn''t need to be resolved. Future progress will surely provide more clues to solve this contradiction.


    For now, let''s focus on finding a way to safely leave the school.


    "Backtrack!"


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hold the bloody painting from your sister and contemte for a moment.)


    (You squat in front of the air, using the gentlest tone possible tomunicate with your sister.)


    (You: Why did you draw like this?)


    (The female teacher walks over and pats the air''s head.)


    (Female teacher: Maybe she had a nightmare recently? You should pay more attention to Gu Yaotely.)


    (You: Alright, shall we go home then? Or should I take you out to eat something?)


    (Suddenly, your red backpack opens.)


    (The bottle of almond water flies out from it and shakes in front of your eyes.)


    (You suddenly remember the mention of a convenience store in the [Old House Lease Instructions.])


    (You: Do you want to go to the convenience store to buy a bottle of almond water?)


    (You don''t hear a response, but the bottle shakes up and down.)


    (You: Okay, then be good and quiet. I''ll take you there.)


    (You bid farewell to the teacher.)


    (You hold your sister''s hand and leave.)


    (The two of you take a bus and arrive at the town''s convenience store, consuming another 10 minutes of the countdown.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    "Alright."


    Gu Yi stood up from the ground and patted his face.


    Gu Yi arrived at the ssroom and immediately spotted the teacher who was busy grading papers.


    The female teacher looked up, wearing a pair of thick-bottom sses. Through the lenses, Gu Yi saw her lifeless dead fish-like eyes.


    "Are you Gu Yao''s brother?"


    "That''s right." Gu Yi smiled and nodded. "I''vee to pick up Gu Yao and take her home."


    After speaking, Gu Yi walked straight to his sister''s desk, skillfully helping her pack her bag.


    The female teacher stood curiously behind Gu Yi and praised, "You''re really diligent. I see many parents who aren''t as considerate as you."


    "My sister is someone I took care of. Our parents don''t pay much attention to her."


    Gu Yi lovingly looked at the empty space in front of him, as if there really was an adorable sister there. He felt someone grab his sleeve and finally felt relieved.


    <i>¡ªIt seems that this is the right way tomunicate with his sister.</i>


    He must sincerely acknowledge his sister''s existence and genuinely take care of her.


    "You''re truly a good brother."


    "You tter me."


    "However, there''s something I need to tell you. It would be best if you can have your parentse over."


    "My parents are busy, and they don''t work in town. I''m afraid they won''t have a chance toe. I take care of my sister''s daily life and help her with her homework most of the time."


    "Ah..." The female teacher hesitated for a moment. "Why don''t youe with me then? Gu Yao, you wait here for a while..."


    "No need. I''ll take her with me."


    Gu Yi followed the female teacher to the office, just as deduced. The teacher took out the bloody painting.


    Gu Yi received the painting, and a system prompt sounded in his ear.


    <i>"You have found the [Sister''s Bloody Painting]."</i>


    <i>"Plot exploration progress increased by 1%."</i>


    Only 1%?


    It seems that this thing doesn''t hold much value to dig into. It likely serves as a hint or clue.


    "Teacher, what do you think of this painting?"


    "I''m not an expert, but I think you should take the child to a major hospital''s psychiatric department."


    "I understand."


    Gu Yi folded the bloody painting and put it in his backpack. Then he turned around and squatted in front of his sister.


    "Are you hungry?"


    Gu Yi didn''t see any response from his sister, but he confidently continued tomunicate with her.


    "I saw that you finished your almond water just now. Do you want more?"


    The sister took out the bottle of almond water.


    The bottle of almond water floated in the air in front of Gu Yi.


    "I''ll take you to the convenience storeter. How about that?"


    The bottle swayed up and down.


    "Be good, and I''ll take you there right away, okay?"


    Gu Yi grinned, gently patted the air in front of him, and then led her toward the school gate.


    The small backpack floated in mid-air, sticking closely to his side.


    Gu Yi felt a chill in his palm, but his mind was still pondering the puzzle in the dungeon¡ª<i>what exactly was the sister beside him?</i>


    <i>Or rather, what was he himself?</i>


    Gu Yi sat on the bus and dozed off for a short while.


    When he opened his eyes, they had already arrived at the entrance of the convenience store.


    The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, with a big pompadour hairstyle. There was a transistor radio ying next to his counter, broadcasting a storytelling show that sounded like the story of Water Margin. [1]


    "What would you like to buy?"


    "Almond water." Gu Yi paused. "Two bottles."


    "Five yuan."


    Gu Yi bought two bottles, one for his sister and one for himself. He opened one and took a sip.


    The taste of the almond water was strange, and Gu Yi couldn''t get used to it. He only took a sip and wanted to throw the bottle away.


    Just as he closed the lid, he heard a notification sound from the system.


    <i>"You have consumed [Almond Water]!"</i>


    <i>"You have entered the irvoyance state,sting for five minutes."</i>


    Gu Yi blinked and suddenly felt a chilling sensation behind him.


    He looked towards the vige entrance, where it seemed like an endless tide of emptiness was rushing toward him. As long as he took a step outside the town, he would be instantly swallowed by the void.


    "What the heck?"


    Gu Yi muttered in a low voice and suddenly felt his sleeve being tugged.


    He turned his head and found that he could actually see his sister.


    "I finished drinking it!"


    His sister held up the empty bottle, her eyes innocent and pure.


    Gu Yi was stunned for a moment. "Do you want more?"


    "No." His sister shook her head. "Let''s go home. I still have homework to do."


    "Okay, wait for me while I buy a few more bottles of almond water."


    Gu Yi nodded and bought a whole case of almond water from the shopkeeper.


    With this, Gu Yi couldmunicate with his sister unimpeded.


    "I was really careless. The lease instructions did have a hint, but unfortunately, I didn''t pay attention to it at all. I was too focused on the puzzle of the family of three.


    But...


    Why almond water?


    Why do I have to drink a specific beverage from the dungeon to be able to see my sister? Is there a secret hidden in this?"


    Gu Yi contemted silently in his mind as he held his sister and waited for the bus at the bus stop.


    The shopkeeper at the convenience store switched channels.


    This time, instead of ying a normal storytelling show, he yed a horror ghost story.


    The narrator''s voice was ear-catching, immediately capturing Gu Yi''s attention.

 Chapter 61: The Executioner and the Condemned Prisoner

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Executioner and the Condemned Prisoner</h4>


    <strong>"Once upon a time, there was a criminal who was about to be executed.</strong>


    <strong>The criminal knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.</strong>


    <strong>The executioner approached him from behind and whispered, ''Don''t be afraid. I won''t cut off your head when the timees. I will only cut the ropes that bind you. As soon as the de falls, run away as fast as you can, the farther the better. Remember, never look back.''</strong>


    <strong>The criminal was surprised but chose to believe the executioner''s words.</strong>


    <strong>The executioner raised his hand, and the de fell.</strong>


    <strong>Suddenly, the criminal felt the ropes binding him fall to the ground. He quickly lowered his head and ran out, covering a distance of several tens of miles.</strong>


    <strong>Finally, panting for breath, he returned home and saw his wife.</strong>


    <strong>His wife asked, ''Why are you back?''</strong>


    <strong>The criminal replied, ''I escaped and someone saved me.''</strong>


    <strong>Several yearster...</strong>


    <strong>The executioner happened to pass by the criminal''s house during a business trip and was surprised to see the criminal''s wife holding a newborn baby in her arms.</strong>


    <strong>The criminal saw the executioner and immediately knelt down, bowing his head.</strong>


    <strong>He said, ''Thanks to your help back then, otherwise, I would have lost my head by now.''</strong>


    <strong>The executioner was taken aback and took a long time to reply, ''Didn''t I already chop off your head back then?''</strong>


    <strong>The criminal eximed in shock and vanished into thin air.</strong>


    <strong>The criminal''s wife, child, and the newly built house all disappeared into thin air."</strong>


    Gu Yi listened to the story with a furrowed brow, feeling a chill down his spine. He felt like he had grasped a key point.


    "Yao Yao, did you find that story interesting?"


    "Yes... Wu Song is really amazing. He can even kill a tiger."


    "Wu Song killed a tiger?"


    "Yes, what''s wrong?"


    Gu Yi was stunned. The stories he and his sister heard werepletely different.


    This was undoubtedly a hint from the system¡ª introducing the worldview of life and death within the dungeon.


    In the story, the criminal had actually died long ago, but if nobody exposed his lie, he could continue to live.


    If this anecdote isbined with my current situation...


    The Ind Town was, in fact, an illusion.


    The pixted symbol like passersby.


    Their empty, lifeless dead fish-like eyes.


    The invisible sister.


    The eerie flow of time.


    Everything in the small town was proving this point.


    <i>During the previous deduction, when I asked my sister "Am I the one you drew".</i>


    <i>That action was like the executioner exposing the lie, triggering an instant-death g for me.</i>


    <i>In other words,</i>


    <i>"I" is actually the ghost of the three-member family. "I" had long since died, just like the criminal, living in an illusory lie.</i>


    <i>The photos and diary sent by the anonymous user are the events that happened in the surface world. If I present this evidence to someone or identally reveal it, I will trigger an instant-death g.</i>


    <i>Following this spection, the anonymous user might not be on my side ¡ª could they be hoping for my demise?</i>


    <i>If the small town is truly a delusion, then if I escape from the town and return to the surface world, will I die?</i>


    <i>Am I dependent on the illusory world of the small town to stay alive?</i>


    <i>Then why does the custom clearance require me to leave this small town instead?</i>


    Gu Yi felt a chill down his spine.


    ording to this line of reasoning, if he leaves the town, he will die. If he doesn''t leave, he won''t be able to clear the dungeon.


    It''s a fatal dilemma with no way out!


    <i>Where did my reasoning go wrong?</i>


    The process of reasoning had no ws, so the problem must lie in the premises.


    1. If the major premise that "I" is a ghost is incorrect, it''ll naturally lead to contradictions in the conclusion. Maybe the definition of "ghost" needs to be redefined.


    2. Maybe the mention of leaving the "town" in the dungeon doesn''t refer to the current "Small Town" where I am located.


    In summary:


    The Small Town is likely an inner world, and my first task should be to find a way to escape from this inner world and return to the surface world. Besides, I must not expose the lie that "I" is already dead.


    "Big brother, is something bothering you?"


    His sister''s words interrupted Gu Yi''s thoughts.


    Gu Yi turned his head and nced at his sister, noticing that she was gradually bing transparent. He quickly took a sip of almond water and smiled, saying, "No, I was just lost in thought."


    "What are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing, even if I told you, you wouldn''t understand."


    The bus soon arrived home, and during the journey, Gu Yi had spent a total of forty minutes. The countdown is now disyed [6 days 11 hours 30 minutes.]


    In the kitchen, there were leftover dishes from his parents. Gu Yi heated them up casually and finished his dinner.


    Holding his phone, Gu Yi sat at his desk, lost in contemtion.


    In the small town, the flow of his time and the countdown''s time were not synchronized. But when he stayed in the old house, the time flow became synchronized again.


    "It seems I need to add another rule to the countdown''s rules."


    Gu Yi took out a pen and paper and added this new discovery to the rules of the countdown.


    If the outside of the small town is the surface world, then the old house is likely the ce connecting the inner world and the surface world, which is why the time flow synchronizes.


    After pondering for a moment, Gu Yi decided to explore the third floor of the old house.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You drink a bottle of almond water and leave the room.)


    (You walk straight up to the third floor.)


    (At the end of the staircase on the third floor, there is a decaying wooden door. You kick the lower right corner of the door panel but still can''t open the door.)


    (You take a detour and climb onto the ledge outside the third-floor window.)


    (You lean on the outside of the window and pry it open.)


    (You arrive on the third floor.)


    (The room is full of dust, and you turn on the shlight on your phone.)


    (The corridor on the third floor is empty, with nothing except two isted guest rooms.)


    (One guest room is locked, and the other is not.)


    (You walk into the unlocked guest room.)


    (The room has a desk, and two mahogany chairs are ced opposite each other by the desk.)


    (The mahogany chair facing away from you is slightly shorter and modestly decorated.)


    (The mahogany chair facing you is slightly taller andvishly decorated, with a lifelike golden dragon carved on the back.)


    (You touch the desk, and it feels warm, almost like a living being.)


    (You suddenly feel your phone starting to heat up.)


    (You open it and see that the countdown is already at zero.)


    (Everything around you starts to distort.)


    (The void swallows you.)


    (You turn into nothingness.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "Hey, there''s definitely something in this old house."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and wrote down the third rule of the countdown on the paper.


    <i>[In the unlocked room on the third floor of the old house, the countdown speed will elerate by a hundred times.]</i>


    "Besides a set of tables and chairs, there''s nothing else on the third floor. Those should be the props forter use in the plot. The other room is locked, so there must be another key to open it."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again and re-entered the deduction mode.

 Chapter 62: The Third Floor of the Old House.

    <h4>Chapter 62: The Third Floor of the Old House.</h4>


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You drink a bottle of almond water and leave the room.)


    (You arrive on the second floor, where your sister is doing her homework in her room.)


    (You enter the parents'' room next door.)


    (You sit in front of your mother''s dresser, searching for clues, and find a note in the jewelry box.)


    (There are many phone numbers written on it, but no names.)


    (You take out your phone and dial each number, but they are all disconnected.)


    (You feel puzzled, but you silently jot down all the numbers.)


    (You open the drawer of the dresser and find some medications. To your surprise, all of them are for cancer treatments.)


    (Could it be that there''s something wrong with the mother''s health?)


    (You put the medications back in the drawer and, turning around, you search the bedside table. Finally, in the bottom drawer, you find a key.)


    (You hide the key in your pocket.)


    (You haven''t found any valuable clues.)


    (You leave the room, but you see your sister standing by the door, watching you.)


    (Sister: Did you just steal something, brother?)


    (You: No, I didn''t.)


    (Sister: I saw you steal Dad''s key. Give it back quickly.)


    (You: I didn''t steal anything. You must have misunderstood.)


    (Your sister''s hair starts to float, and her eyes flicker with red light.)


    (Sister: Return it now, and I can pretend I didn''t see anything. But if you don''t return it, don''t me me...)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Sigh... Another rule added. And it seems like the sister is also a monster. Am I the only normal person in this house?"


    Gu Yi took out the lease agreement for the old house and adds a note to it.


    <i>[Do not steal anything from parents.]</i>


    Gu Yi silently contemted for a while. Themotion he just caused was too loud, so the sister noticed.


    However, all the doors in the old house require a strong kick to open, making it difficult to avoid attracting his sister''s attention. He doesn''t know when his parents wille back, and once they do, it will be even more impossible for him to get the things from inside.


    "Let''s try a different approach."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take a sip of almond water.)


    (You go to the bathroom and grab a bar of soap.)


    (You leave the old house and enter your parents'' room through the window from outside.)


    (You crouch by the door and listen for a while, but your sister doesn''t notice you at all.)


    (You take out your father''s key and use the soap to make an impression of the key.)


    (With the soap in hand, you return to your own room.)


    (You wait for a while, and your sister still hasn''t noticed you.)


    (You go back to the room and take out your student ID card. Using the soap impression as a guide, you cut it into the shape of a key.)


    (You return to the third floor.)


    (Using the forged key, you sessfully open the door to the third floor.)


    (You stand at the door for a while, using your phone to confirm the speed of time. When you pass by the unlocked room, the flow of time noticeably elerates.)


    (You try to stay away from the unlocked room as much as possible.)


    (With the key in your hand, you sessfully open the locked room.)


    (You stand at the door and observe for a while. The countdown doesn''t elerate, so you enter the room.)


    (The room is empty except for a ck box. You open the box, and a giant python jumps out.)


    (The python coils around you.)


    (You feel suffocated.)


    (Your vision fades to ck.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and pondered for a moment.


    The danger on the third floor was not just the highly elerated time flow but also the presence of a hidden monster. The contents of the ck box on the third floor remained unknown, and Gu Yi couldn''t retrieve them at the moment.


    However, obtaining his Dad''s key was still crucial.


    Following the previous deduction, Gu Yi sessfully created a counterfeit key, and the system simultaneously issued a prompt,


    <i>"You have obtained [Dad''s Key (Forged)]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress: 2%!"</i>


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow slightly. In the previous dungeon, obtaining an important plot item would usually grant him at least 10% or more of exploration progress.


    This time, he could only gain a mere 1%.


    "Theplexity exceeds my imagination..."


    Gu Yi rubbed his temples, deep in thought.


    After a while, he heard the sound of unlockinging from outside.


    Quickly, Gu Yi tidied up the table, ensuring that no traces were left for his parents to discover.


    His mother entered his room, casting a concerned nce at him.


    "Are you doing your homework?"


    "Yeah."


    "Where''s your sister?"


    "Upstairs."


    "I see."


    His mother nodded and went to his sister''s room.


    Gu Yi put down his pen and observed through the crack of the door.


    Both parents stood outside his sister''s room, speaking as if deliberately avoiding him. He faintly heard his sister''s sobbing, and their conversation seemed to mention something about drawing.


    "They must have been informed about the gruesome artwork by the teacher."


    Gu Yi returned to his writing desk and sat down.


    Clearly, his parents didn''t want "I" to die. That''s why they reacted so anxiously and even scolded his sister when she created that painting suggesting death.


    Now it was almost certain.


    His parents were on side of "I", while the anonymous user on the phone was on the opposite side, trying to lead "I" astray with their messages.


    The anonymous user was the executioner who exposed the lies.


    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>


    His mother tapped on Gu Yi''s door.


    "What''s up?"


    Gu Yi opened the door.


    Outside, his mother had changed into her nightwear. She pointed to her empty wrist and said, "It''s almost 10 p.m. Time to sleep."


    "Huh?" Gu Yi blinked and checked his phone.


    [6 days, 9 hours, 23 minutes]


    Time had progressed unnoticed again.


    "Go take a shower and then go to bed,"


    "Um... okay,"


    Gu Yi nodded and obediently went to the bathroom to freshen up.


    Regarding the countdown rule, one more point needed to be added.


    <i>[The flow of time concluded by parents can affect the countdown on the phone.]</i>


    This point could actually be inferred from when he picked up his sister from school.


    Gu Yi''s parents assigned him the task of picking up his sister. They believed that Gu Yi could reach his sister''s school in ten minutes, which caused the strange time flow phenomenon he experienced earlier.


    "This is a significant discovery. The flow of time in the countdown is actually influenced by my parents will. If they feel it''s time to go to bed, then I have to go to bed."


    After Gu Yi washed up, hey on his bed and fell asleep.


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi''s phone suddenly rang, and there was another text message from the anonymous user.


    <i>[May 12, 2021, light rain.]</i>


    <i>[Big brother is gone, and I feel so lonely. If he were here, he would protect me.]</i>


    <i>[There''s always a strange person with clown makeup outside the house. Last night, he suddenly appeared at my window.]</i>


    <i>[You know, our house is on the 20th floor. How did he climb up to my window?] [1]</i>


    <i>[Moreover, I''ve seen that clown before.]</i>


    <i>[This morning, a wedding procession came to our neighborhood. The bride looked like a cat, and the groom looked like a mouse. The clown was there too, giving out balloons to the children.]</i>


    <i>[I told Mom and Dad about the clown, but they said it was just a nightmare. But I didn''t have a nightmare at all.]</i>


    <i>[Dad said there haven''t been any weddings in our neighborhood recently. They think I saw the clown somewhere else.]</i>

 Chapter 63: The Wedding Procession (1)

    <h4>Chapter 63: The Wedding Procession (1)</h4>


    "A new diary entry?"


    Gu Yi paused for a moment, got up from his bed, and took out "My Diary".


    Indeed.


    The diary entry for May 12, 2021, was unlocked.


    <i>[May 12, 2021, light rain.]</i>


    <i>[Last night, I dreamed of my sister being hit and killed again. I feel incredibly regretful. If I had acted a little faster, maybe I could have saved her.]</i>


    <i>[I should have held my sister''s hand so that she won''t wander off.]</i>


    <i>[This morning, a wedding procession came to our neighborhood. The bride looked like a cat, and the groom looked like a mouse. There was a clown in the procession, giving out balloons to the children.]</i>


    <i>[Balloons are my sister''s favorite. If she were here, she would run to the clown and ask for a Puppy-shaped balloon.]</i>


    "What the hell..."


    Gu Yi put the diary down.


    Before he could analyze the diary entry, he heard lively suona musicing from outside the house.


    Gu Yi felt a chill down his spine and immediately closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You hear the sound of suona from outside.)


    (Worried that the strange events recorded in your diary might ur, you dare not act rashly and decide to use your talent to explore.)


    (You open the window and look outside.)


    (A procession of a wedding party appears.)


    (The groom is wearing arge red robe, riding a tall and majestic horse, followed by a grand sedan chair.)


    (You carefully observe the groom.)


    (He is not human at all but a monster with a rat''s head.)


    (You hear your mother''s urging from outside the door.)


    (You open the door and look at your mother.)


    (You: Mom, is someone getting married outside?)


    (Your mother''s face turns pale, and she covers your mouth.)


    (Your mother: There is no one getting married here.)


    (You: Then what are they doing outside, ying the suona?)


    (Your mother: Stop talking about it!)


    (You notice the cheerful tune of the suona suddenly turns into a mournful melody, and you look out through the window.)


    (The wedding procession transforms into a funeral procession, and the grand sedan chair turns into a coffin.)


    (The groom walks on the ground, holding a memorial portrait, which turns out to be a picture of you.)


    (Your vision turns pitch ck.)


    (You find yourself lying inside the coffin.)


    (You gradually lose consciousness.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    "I think I understand."


    Gu Yi muttered softly as he opened his eyes.


    Just as he had previously spected, the town had been acting as the "executioner," constantly trying to expose his lies.


    Outside, the procession passing by was actually a funeral procession, but in Gu Yi''s eyes, it appeared to be a wedding procession.


    If he were to reveal everything he saw, his parents would remember that he was already dead, triggering the instant death condition, just as it had happened before.


    Gu Yi checked the countdown on his phone.


    <i>[5 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes]</i>


    The sound of the suona continued, and the wedding procession was drawing closer.


    "What if I ignore that wedding procession? Will I still die?"


    Gu Yi activated his talent once again.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You pretend not to see the wedding procession.)


    (Your mother knocks on the door, and you step out.)


    (Your mother: Hurry up and get ready. After breakfast, we need to take you to school.)


    (You: Okay.)


    (You go about your normal routine, freshening up and taking a sip of almond water. The sound of suona from outside grows louder, drowning out other noises.)


    (You sit at the dining table, having breakfast with your parents and sister.)


    (You hear footstepsing from upstairs.)


    (You look up and see a woman wearing a red veil descending the stairs.)


    (A gust of cold wind blows.)


    (You realize that this woman has a furry cat face.)


    (Mother: What''s wrong with you?)


    (You: Someone...)


    (Your throat feels like it''s being squeezed shut.)


    (The wedding procession enters your backyard.)


    (Your parents still can''t see the procession, and your sister seems restless and anxious.)


    (The cat bride walks past you, and from beneath the red veil, you catch a glimpse of her eerie smiling face.)


    (Your pupils dte, and your heart stops.)


    (You are scared to death.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Even if I pretend not to see, I''ll still die."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and thought calmly.


    In the previous deduction, it was evident that his parents couldn''t see the procession, but his sister showed a shocked expression at thest moment.


    Perhaps by relying on his sister, he can escape this crisis?


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hear the sound of suona from outside.)


    (You take a sip of almond water.)


    (You go out and greet your mother. You go upstairs to wake up your sister.)


    (Sister: Brother, let me sleep a little longer.)


    (You: I saw a wedding procession outside.)


    (Sister: No one in our town is getting married.)


    (You: Can''t you hear the sound of suona outside the door?)


    (Your sister looks puzzled, but her eyes widen suddenly as if waking up from a dream.)


    (Sister: You must be dreaming, right? There''s no one getting married here.)


    (You: Look outside the window.)


    (Your sister looks out the window.)


    (Sister: There''s nothing outside, nothing, nothing at all.)


    (Your sister grabs your hand and pulls you towards the door.)


    (Your parents see this and stop the two of you.)


    (Mother: Where are you going?)


    (Sister: I want to go out with my brother.)


    (Mother: At least finish breakfast before you go.)


    (Your sister starts crying.)


    (You look past your parents.)


    (The cat bride ising downstairs, she lifts the red veil, revealing a creepy smile toward you.)


    (Your heart stops, and pupils dte.)


    (You die.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Even my sister can''t save me?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow.


    With the sound of the suona growing closer, he didn''t have time to think and continued to deduce.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hear the sound of suona from outside.)


    (You take a sip of almond water and rx.)


    (You summarize the rules regarding the wedding procession.)


    (1. You can''t directly tell your family that there is a wedding procession outside, as it will turn the procession into your own funeral procession.)


    (2. When you tell your family about the wedding procession, they will deny it, and you can''t argue back.)


    (3. The wedding procession will inevitably reach the old house, and the cat bride wille down from the third floor. No matter what, you will see the cat bride and trigger an instant death.)


    (Mother and sister don''t have any means to deal with the current situation, so the only option is to seek help from father.)


    (You open the door and head straight to your father''s room on the second floor.)


    (Your father looks very surprised when he sees you.)


    (Father: Why are you so flustered?)


    (You: There are some strange people outside.)


    (Father: What?)


    (You: There''s a group of people ying the suona and carrying a sedan chair. I don''t know what they''re doing.)


    (Your father opens his mouth wide.)


    (Father: Are you talking in your sleep? There''s nothing outside.)

 Chapter 64: The Wedding Procession (2)

    <h4>Chapter 64: The Wedding Procession (2)</h4>


    (You firmly pinch your thigh.)


    (You: I wasn''t dreaming. There really are strange people outside.)


    (Father: This...)


    (You hear footsteps from outside.)


    (You know that the cat bride hase out from the third floor.)


    (You try to hide under your parents'' bed and not go out.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a warm liquid on the floor, and the cat bride''s head emerges from beneath the floorboards, revealing a creepy smile.)


    (Your heart stops, and pupils dte.)


    (You die.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Damn... is there no one in this whole family I can rely on?"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and bit his lip.


    If no one else can be relied upon, then he can only rely on himself!


    "Backtrack!"


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hear the sound of suona from outside.)


    (You take out a forged key and head straight to the third floor.)


    (You unlock the door and enter the attic on the third floor.)


    (Your father hears themotion and shouts at you from the second floor, but you pretend not to hear.)


    (You listen to the sound of suona outside, getting closer and closer.)


    (You hear a rustling sounding from the unlocked room on the third floor, and you stand by the door and look inside.)


    (The cat bride gradually appears on a chair in the room, slowly turning her head to look at you.)


    (You feel a palpitation and tightness in your chest.)


    (The cat bride starts walking towards you, gently lifting her veil, revealing whiskers on her chin.)


    (You endure the difort and open another locked room.)


    (You rush into the room and grab the ck box.)


    (The ck box starts vibrating incessantly, and you forcefully throw the box at the cat bride.)


    (Arge python emerges from the box and engages in a struggle with the cat bride.)


    (You take the opportunity to escape through the window.)


    (The wedding procession remains in the yard in front of the old house, not leaving for a long time.)


    (You hear a cry of pain from the cat bride, and the python emerges as the victor.)


    (There is a series of crashing sounds from the house, followed by the screams of your parents and sister.)


    (You descend into an endless void.)


    (Your consciousness gradually fades away.)


    (You die.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Engaging in risky actions not only endangers oneself but also harms one''s parents and sister.


    It seems there''s another hidden rule in this dungeon: you cannot let harme to your family, or else you''ll be consumed by the void.


    Using your family as cannon fodder is not eptable.


    "Stay calm..."


    The sound of the suona was getting closer, and Gu Yi could even see the whiskers on the rat groom''s face.


    He calmly sat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You sit on the edge of the bed, deep in thought.)


    (The crisis with the wedding procession cannot be ovee by brute force alone.)


    (There must be some crucial information or hint that the system has left for you, but you overlooked it.)


    (You take out your phone and diary, flipping back and forth to the entry for May 12th.)


    (You finally spot the issue.)


    (Both your sister''s diary and your own diary mention a character named "the clown.")


    (However, there is no clown in the wedding procession.)


    (Moreover, the wedding procession clearly has a traditional Chinese ssical style, while a clown has a more modern look. Having a clown follow behind the grand sedan chair would definitely be out of ce.)


    (Then, where is the clown mentioned in the diary?)


    (The sound of the suona grows closer.)


    (You push open the door and happen to see your parents and sister sitting at the dining table.)


    (They all look at you with strange expressions.)


    (Mother: Why did you just wake up?)


    (You hear footsteps from upstairs, knowing that the cat bride has appeared.)


    (A bead of cold sweat drips down your forehead; the rat groom is already mounted on a horse in the yard of the old house.)


    (Father: Sit down and have your meal.)


    (You nod, pick up your chopsticks and bowl, and you feel a gust of cold wind behind you.)


    (Since there is no clown, why not pretend there is one?)


    (You clench your teeth and use your chopsticks to point outside the house.)


    (You: Why is there a clown out there blowing balloons?)


    (Sister: Huh? There really is a clown!)


    (Mother: Don''t be silly.)


    (Sister: I want the clown to make me a puppy balloon.)


    (Mother: You''re too old for balloons.)


    (The sound of the suona abruptly stops outside the house.)


    (You look outside, and the wedding procession has disappeared, leaving only a clown and a group of schoolchildren.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and felt rxed all over.


    Cracking the puzzle was just the beginning; the remaining task was to figure out why.


    After getting dressed, Gu Yi walked out of the room.


    His parents and younger sister were already sitting at the dining table, waiting to eat.


    Gu Yi casually took his seat and pointed outside, saying, "Why is there a clown out there?"


    "Clown? Where is there a clown?"


    His sister craned her neck to look outside.


    Impatiently, their mother pulled the sister and knocked on the table, saying, "Sit properly and eat."


    "Mom, the clown is blowing balloons. I want a puppy-shaped balloon..."


    "You''re already a big kid, why do you still want balloons? Eat your meal first."


    "Oh..."


    The sister nodded and picked up her chopsticks, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Gu Yi let out a sigh of relief.


    The clown was busy ying games with the children outside and paid no attention to their family.


    While eating, Gu Yi pondered.


    The diary on the first day mentioned "I" getting into a car ident, which is why he triggered the death g that made him get hit by a truck when he was picking up his sister yesterday.


    The diary on the second day described the strange wedding procession and the clown, which is why he encountered these bizarre creatures during breakfast today.


    Following this logic...


    On the seventh day, his birthday, would he see his sister turning into a monster and killing him?


    Could it be that the diary is some kind of prophetic item?


    Perhaps it''s not a diary from the past but rather a diary from the present?


    There seems to be no clock in this world, so he can only estimate the time based on the countdown.


    There''s a 2022 calendar in the room. Could it be a trap set in the dungeon to mislead his sense of time?


    No!


    That contradicts the background information in the dungeon. "The family of three" had moved into the old house a year ago, so the 2022 calendar shouldn''t be misleading.


    Gu Yi bit his lip, unable toe up with a reasonable exnation for now.


    <i>--Well, since I can''t figure it out for the time being, I''ll set it aside.</i>


    Gu Yi rxed his brows and looked at his mother.


    "Mom, how have you been feelingtely?"


    "Me?" His mother looked at Gu Yi somewhat surprised. "Why are you suddenly concerned about me?"


    "Because it seems like yourplexion hasn''t been goodtely."


    Yesterday, when Gu Yi was searching his parents'' room, he found cancer treatment medication hidden under his mother''s dressing table, which was why he was testing her like this.


    "You don''t have to worry about me, I''m perfectly fine."


    "Yeah." His father nodded and said, "You''re about to take the college entrance exam. Don''t worry about things at home."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    From what he could see, his parents should be on his side.


    To prevent their child from being distracted, his mother had always concealed her illness.


    When their child encountered the strange wedding procession, they would also do their best to dy the arrival of danger.


    Therefore, as long as Gu Yi didn''t upset them and tried to listen to them as much as possible, he could stillmunicate with his parents.


    "Dad, can I ask you a question?"


    "Go ahead."


    "What''s on the third floor?"

 Chapter 65: Hospital Admission Certificate

    <h4>Chapter 65: Hospital Admission Certificate</h4>


    "The third floor is just a storage room, nothing special," the father paused and said, "It''s very dirty up there, so don''t go."


    "Oh."


    Gu Yi nodded, confirming that his father didn''t want to reveal any information about the third floor.


    His father nced at his wrist, even though there was no watch on it.


    "I have to go to work."


    "But today is Saturday, why are you still going to work?"


    "Overtime."


    After his father finished speaking, he took the car keys and left.


    His mother scratched her head and said while tidying up the dishes, "You should go to your tutoring ss quickly. Today, I''ll take your sister into the city to buy some things."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi nodded, picked up his backpack, and walked out.


    The clown was still ying with the children at the street corner. Gu Yi passed by the clown without any interaction.


    Gu Yi took out his phone and checked the time.


    [5 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes]


    ording to his previous deduction, as long as Gu Yi walked out the door and regardless of which direction he went, once the time arrives, he would automatically appear at the tutoring ss.


    Of course, Gu Yi wouldn''t waste this time. It was a great opportunity for free exploration.


    Gu Yi crouched at the street corner and remained still, and the countdown timer indeed paused.


    After a while, his mother drove away.


    Pedestrians on the road came and went, paying no attention to Gu Yi. Their flow of time didn''t affect Gu Yi''s flow of time.


    "Deduction."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Deduction Begins!)


    (You approach the clown.)


    (The clown blows up a dog-shaped balloon and gives it to a child.)


    (You pat the clown on the shoulder.)


    (You: Who are you?)


    (The clown stares at you, making you feel uneasy.)


    (You: Why aren''t you talking?)


    (The clown bursts into exaggeratedughter, leaving you at a loss.)


    (You realize that the clown is unable tomunicate, so you give up trying to interact with him.)


    (You turn around to leave, but the clown taps your shoulder, indicating that you should y a game with him.)


    (You agree.)


    (You patiently y with the clown for a while.)


    (The clown pulls out two bottles of water from his pants and hands one to you.)


    (The clown gestures for you to mimic his actions.)


    (The clown smashes the bottle against his head, then opens the cap and takes a sip of water.)


    (You follow suit.)


    (The clown puffs his cheeks and makes a funny face.)


    (You mimic him.)


    (The clown pouts and sprays out the water from his mouth.)


    (You had already swallowed the water earlier, so you can''t spray it out.)


    (The clown bursts into exaggeratedughter, mimics a gun with his hand, and points it at his head.)


    (You involuntarily imitate him.)


    (Bang!)


    (You are "shot" and killed by your own "gun".)


    (Deduction ends!)


    "Fuck, I fell for such a cheap trick?"


    Gu Yi scratched his head.


    However, it also revealed something¡ªthe clown indeed had some role to y.


    "Backtrack!"


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (The clown pulls out two bottles of water from his pants and hands one to you.)


    (He gestures for you to mimic his actions.)


    (The clown drinks the water.)


    (You were prepared and had half the water in your mouth.)


    (The clown performs various funny actions.)


    (You mimic all of them.)


    (The clown pouts and sprays out the water from his mouth.)


    (You also spray out the water from your mouth.)


    (The clown ps his hands in surprise.)


    (You do the same.)


    (The clown rushes up and gives you a hug, indicating that the game is over, and then he makes a balloon sword for you.)


    (You take the balloon sword.)


    (The clown waves goodbye to you and walks towards the river. He squeezes his nose and jumps into the water without causing any sshes.)


    (Holding the balloon sword, a bold ideaes to your mind.)


    (You return to the old house and rush to the third floor.)


    (You open the locked secret room.)


    (You open the ck box.)


    (A python flies out of the box, and you stab it with the balloon sword.)


    (The python splits in half and wriggles on the ground until it turns into a ck mist.)


    (You pick up the box and find a piece of paper inside, along with an eye patch.)


    (The paper is a hospital admission certificate with the patient''s name, Han Chunzhu, age 67.)


    (You remember that your mother''s surname is Jin.)


    (You suspect that Han Chunzhu is likely your grandmother.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (Your family now has one more person, so who is the "The Family of Three" referred to in the dungeon title?)


    (You neatly fold the admission certificate and put it in your pocket, then pick up the eye patch.)


    (It''s a ck eye patch, and when you put it on, nothing happens.)


    (You''re not sure what it''s for, but you still keep it close to you.)


    (The hospital mentioned on the admission certificate is not far from your home, so you decide to explore it now.)


    (You sprint all the way to the hospital.)


    (There is nothingness in front of your eyes.)


    (You end the backtracking.)


    "Hmm..."


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow and silently contemted.


    The hospital being enveloped in nothingness, Gu Yi had encountered a simr situation in the previous dungeon when he entered the underground third floor, where his talent couldn''t simte the scene of the third basement.


    This indicated that the hospital was shrouded in a higher level of power, rendering his talent ineffective or potentially causing significant errors even if it did work.


    Gu Yi had to personally explore that particr hospital.


    "I hope there won''t be any danger in that hospital."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath.


    Even talents weren''t invincible, and sometimes he had to venture into the unknown himself.


    He patted his cheeks, mustering up his determination as he approached the clown.


    "Hello."


    Gu Yi waved at the clown.


    The clown burst into exaggeratedughter and started ying games with Gu Yi.


    With his experience from the previous deduction, Gu Yi didn''t fall for the clown''s tricks and sessfully obtained the balloon sword.


    "Beep!"


    The clown blew a whistle, and the surrounding children scattered. He waved at Gu Yi, turned around, and jumped into the river without causing a single ssh.


    "If he has such skills, he should join the national diving team and make a name for himself instead of wasting his talents as a clown in a small town."


    Gu Yi shook his head, holding the balloon sword as he arrived at the third floor of the old house.


    Gu Yi opened the secret room on the third floor andposed himself as he opened the ck box.


    Arge python flew out of the box, and Gu Yi clenched his teeth, thrusting the sword into the snake''s head.


    The python hissed, split in two, and fell to the ground, while the balloon sword in Gu Yi''s hand also deted.


    Gu Yi wiped off the blood from his face and picked up the ck box.


    As he nced at the admission certificate, he didn''t receive a prompt from the system. However, when he picked up the eye patch, the system spoke.


    <i>"You have obtained the [One-Eye Patch]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress: 12%!"</i>


    Gu Yi blinked, looking at the eye patch in his hand with astonishment. "This piece of junk can actually increase exploration progress by 10%? What on earth is it?"

 Chapter 66: The Seriously Ill Grandmother

    <h4>Chapter 66: The Seriously Ill Grandmother</h4>


    The drawing from his sister and the key from his father, both of these storyline items could only increase the plot exploration progress by 1%.


    But this one-eyed patch unexpectedly provided a 10% increase in exploration progress.


    Based on his previous dungeon experience, the eye patch might y a decisive role.


    Gu Yi put on the one-eyed patch, but nothing happened. Gu Yi didn''t dare to assume too much and kept the eye patch close to him. No one knew when it woulde into y.


    Gu Yi left the old house and headed straight toward the hospital.


    He ran all the way without holding back, basically sprinting, because he didn''t know when he would be forcibly transported to the tutoring ss.


    "Hoo..."


    Gu Yi supported his knees and took deep breaths.


    He checked the countdown timer on his phone, [5 days, 23 hours, 04 minutes]. It took him twenty minutes to run from the old house to the hospital.


    Gu Yi rested for a while before entering the hospital.


    Although it was just the beginning of summer, the hospital had already turned on the air conditioning, and Gu Yi couldn''t help but shiver.


    He checked his phone.


    The countdown was still ongoing. Time flowed the same way here as it did in the old house, so he had to make good use of his time.


    "Hello, where can I find Han Chunzhu?"


    "She''s in Ward A on the third floor of the inpatient department."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi confirmed the location and immediately climbed the stairs to the ward.


    Even though it was a small town in a mountainous area, it was unexpectedly crowded here. The patients and doctors in the ward didn''t have the lifeless gaze simr to the small-town residents.


    Gu Yi spected.


    Just like the old house, this ce was a boundary between the surface world and the inner world, but it was slightly closer to the surface world, which meant his deduction abilities couldn''t function properly here.


    This hospital, despite being located in the small Town, was likely a tertiary hospital inside the big city in the surface world.


    "Hello, can you tell me which room Han Chunzhu is in?"


    "Han Chunzhu? Are you her family?"


    "Yes."


    "Han Chunzhu''s medical expenses haven''t been paid since her admission. It has been nearly a month without any payment. Are you her grandson? Where are your parents?"


    Gu Yi was at a loss and could only appease the nurse, "They''ll be here soon. Can you please tell me where the patient is?"


    "Since no one has paid the bed fee, she is in the corridor over there, right across from the boiler room."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi nodded and ran toward the location pointed out by the nurse.


    In the corridor, opposite the boiler room, there was a solitary hospital bed.


    An emaciated olddyy on the bed, her wrists covered in bruises, likely from frequent intravenous drips.


    The olddy was incredibly thin, and Gu Yi didn''t know if she was his grandmother or his maternal grandmother.


    <i>¡ªHe could only make a guess based on his instincts.</i>


    "Grandma?"


    Gu Yi called softly and gently touched the back of the olddy''s hand.


    The olddy struggled to open her eyes, looking dazedly at the ceiling.


    "It''s me."


    The olddy turned her head and looked at Gu Yi. Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in her gray eyes.


    "Little Yi, you finally came to see Grandma?"


    "What happened to you?"


    Han Chunzhu struggled to raise her hand and touched Gu Yi''s cheek. "Child, what happened to you? Have you suffered a lot?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow. <i>Was he not in a healthy state in the eyes of the olddy?</i>


    Han Chunzhu suddenly grabbed Gu Yi''s hand and spoke slowly, word by word, "Child, you need to leave... quickly."


    "Leave? Where should I go?"


    "Your parents are no longer your parents." Tears welled up in Han Chunzhu''s eyes. "They have long betrayed their conscience. You should leave them as soon as possible."


    "What do you mean? Can you exin it clearly?"


    "I''m telling you, Gu Jianjun is not..."


    Han Chunzhu stopped halfway, and Gu Yi suddenly felt a palpitation.


    He turned his head and saw a surge of the tidal void behind him.


    Gu Yi held his breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself sitting in the tutoring ss.


    He blinked, and the sun outside was already nting. His ssmates were all preparing to go home with their backpacks.


    [5 days, 13 hours, 07 minutes]


    It was already evening.


    Gu Yi didn''t rush to pack his bag and go home. He sat at his desk, carefully contemting his experience at the hospital.


    "Grandma said that my parents have betrayed their conscience and are no longer my parents, asking me to leave them... So, does ''The family of three'' refer to me, my sister, and my grandmother?"


    The sudden inclusion of his grandmother overturned Gu Yi''s spection about the "Family of three." Neither "I" nor his sister were ghosts or excluded individuals.


    <i>¡ªHis parents were the two individuals excluded from the family!</i>


    Grandma was seriously ill but had to sleep in the hospital corridor. The nurse mentioned that she owed the hospital medical expenses.


    If all this was true, then his parents were indeed the scoundrels who had betrayed their conscience!


    Moreover, Grandma also said, "You have to leave."


    This directly proved his spection that this ind Town was an illusory world.


    But...


    <i>Could Grandma''s words be trusted?</i>


    So far, his parents hadn''t done anything to harm him, and they were no different from ordinary parents.


    The only thing that caught Gu Yi''s attention was that they, like his sister, possessed peculiar abilities.


    <i>In the inner world, both his parents and his sister had peculiar abilities. Do they also possess such abilities in the surface world?</i>


    Thest words Grandma said were probably meant to hint at how he could escape from the inner world, but she didn''t have enough time to exin it clearly. Gu Yi faintly heard Grandma mention his father''s name.


    Perhaps he should start investigating from his father''s side?


    After contemting for a moment, Gu Yi decided to visit that hospital again.


    But when Gu Yi arrived at the hospital, he found that it had transformed from a tertiary hospital into a small clinic. He took out Han Chunzhu''s admission certificate, and it immediately turned into a pile of ashes.


    "So, the admission certificate is just a one-time ticket. It allows me to briefly leave this town and go to the hospital where Grandma is."


    <i>Beep beep¡ª¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi''s phone rang. It was a call from his mother.


    "Why haven''t youe home yet?"


    "The bus today was a bit hard to catch."


    "Hurry up ande back."


    "I''ll be home in about ten minutes."


    "We''re waiting for you to have dinner."


    Gu Yi hung up the phone and didn''t head home immediately. Instead, he wandered around the area for about ten minutes.


    After ten minutes, Gu Yi immediately teleported back home.


    As Gu Yi had spected, his parents were indeed the determining factor for the flow of time. This was another rule he could use. It greatly increased his mobility efficiency and reduced physical exertion.


    Back at home, his family was already seated at the dining table.


    Gu Yi picked up his bowl and started eating. At this point, he was still unaware of his parents'' attitude towards his grandmother, so he decided to use his talent to inquire about Grandma.

 Chapter 67: Slaughtered Some Lamb Today

    <h4>Chapter 67: ughtered Some Lamb Today</h4>


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You look at your mother.)


    (You: Mom, how is Grandma doingtely?)


    (Mother: Grandma is doing well. Do you miss her?)


    (You: Today I heard the neighbor saying that you and Dad have neglected Grandma in the hospital, forcing her to sleep in the hallway.)


    (Your mother frowns, and your father taps your head with his chopsticks.)


    (Father: You don''t even believe your own parents and instead trust strangers?)


    (You: I heard...)


    (Father: Stop talking. Do you think we''re heartless?)


    (The veins on your father''s forehead bulge, as if he''s on the verge of exploding.)


    (You don''t dare to continue provoking your father''s anger. Like your mother, he has the ability to kill you in an instant.)


    (Your parents refuse to admit it.)


    (You don''t know if your parents really haven''t done such a thing or if they''re just acting. Perhaps the situation in the inner world and the surface world is not the same.)


    (You sneak a nce at your sister.)


    (She''s focused on dealing with a chicken drumstick, seemingly oblivious to your conversation.)


    (You: Tomorrow is Sunday, do you still have to go to work, Dad?)


    (Father: Yes, thepany is busy recently.)


    (You: I want to go to the city with you...)


    (Your parents: You can''t go.)


    (Your parents speak in unison, and you''re so scared that your chopsticks almost fall to the ground.)


    (Father: After your birthday, you can go out.)


    (You: Why?)


    (Father: No why!)


    (Your father angrily knocks over the table, and the food on it falls to the ground.)


    (Your mother doesn''t me your father but instead gestures and points at you.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi sucked on his chopsticks, silently contemting.


    His father''s final look of dismay gave Gu Yi some bad impressions.


    He had a vague feeling that his parents'' reason for not letting him go out wasn''t because he would die if he did, but because they would die if he did.


    His parents were limiting his freedom for their own self-interest.


    "Brother, that''s a pair of chopsticks, not a chicken leg."


    "Huh?"


    His train of thought was interrupted by his sister.


    Gu Yi stared at his sister in a daze, only then realizing that he had been gnawing on the chopsticks.


    "What are you thinking about so absentmindedly?"


    "Is something wrong with your body? Is the food not to your liking?"


    Both parents put down their chopsticks and looked at him.


    Gu Yi awkwardly shook his head, smiling and saying, "It''s nothing. I was just thinking about a math problem we had this morning. I should have written a better solution."


    Gu Yi continued to eat while speaking.


    Their concern just now seemedpletely genuine.


    <i>If they were truly acting, then he could only praise them for their excellent acting skills. Could it be that what his grandmother said wasn''t trustworthy?</i>


    After finishing dinner with a heavy heart, Gu Yi returned to his room. He took out pen and paper and wrote down new clues on the unsolved puzzle.


    <strong>1. Whether the seriously ill grandmother is trustworthy.</strong>


    <strong>2. The clue to leaving the inner world may lie with his father.</strong>


    <i>Creak--</i>


    The door suddenly opened.


    Gu Yi hurriedly crumpled the note into a ball and stuffed it into the trash can.


    "Brother, can Ie in?"


    His sister was in her pajamas, looking through the crack in the door at him.


    "Yeah, what''s up?"


    Gu Yi grinned.


    At home, his sister was probably the person he could trust the most.


    Frowning, his sister walked into the bedroom. She stood in front of Gu Yi, looking puzzled as she said, "Are you really my brother?"


    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    "You''ve been acting strange today."


    "What''s strange about me?"


    "Everything about you is strange," his sister shook her head and said, "I feel like you''ve turned into a different person."


    Gu Yi smiled on the surface, but inside, his was beating non-stop.


    He had been ying the role of the character well, and not even the parents had noticed anything wrong. But unexpectedly, his sister had detected something abnormal.


    This was enough to prove that his parents simply didn''t care about him. They didn''t even have his sister''s perceptive abilities.


    "You''re overthinking things."


    "Why were you like that today? You didn''t say a word at the dinner table, and you were always daydreaming. That''s not like you."


    "I''m feeling a bit nervous because the college entrance exams areing up."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, of course."


    Gu Yi nodded earnestly.


    No matter what, his sister was just a third-grade elementary school student. He casually made up a reason and brushed her off.


    His sister looked at Gu Yi with a mix of belief and doubt, then turned and left the room.


    Gu Yi turned his head and prepared to continue contemting the puzzle, but he heard a new notification from the system.


    <i>"Your sister is suspicious of your identity."</i>


    <i>"Your sister''s affinity towards you has decreased."</i>


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow.


    This unexpected notification had left him feeling uneasy.


    His sister also possessed strange powers. If she were to find out that he was just an adventurer ying the role of her brother, would she tear him to shreds?


    "What a hassle. I have to figure out how to solve the puzzle while also pretending to be the brother and entertaining a child."


    Gu Yi sat in front of his desk and pondered for a moment.


    At the moment, he had too few clues to make any progress in the plot. The best he could do was wait for the arrival of the third day and see if the newly unlocked diary entry could provide him with more information.


    His mother knocked on his bedroom door, indicating that it was time to go to bed.


    Gu Yi nodded and proceeded to wash up before getting into bed.


    Today had been eventful, and as hey in bed, he couldn''t help but recall the image of his emaciated grandmother, unable to sleep at all.


    "Gu Yi... Gu Yi..."


    His mother''s voice called out to him.


    Gu Yi instinctively thought about opening his eyes but suddenly remembered the hint on the old house lease contract.


    So he feigned sleep, silently engaging in the deduction.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (Your mother calls out two more times.)


    (You hear the sound of a door closing.)


    (You jump off the bed and peer through the crack in the door.)


    (Your parents are sitting in the living room, whispering to each other.)


    (You press against the door and listen carefully.)


    (Father: Are the kids asleep?)


    (Mother: Yes.)


    (Father: How manymbs did you get today?)


    (Mother: Keep your voice down!)


    (Father: I''m sorry...)


    (Mother: Today...)


    (You can no longer make out what your parents are saying. You crouch by the door, trying to see outside.)


    (Your parents are in the living room, speaking in hushed tones.)


    (After a while, your mother walks towards the kitchen, and you hear the sound of sawing.)


    (Your motheres back holding something bloody.)


    (Father: Lamb meat...)


    (Mother: They''re here.)


    (Your parents both turn their heads to look outside the door.)


    (The cat bride and mouse groom you saw in the morning, dressed in ck suits, enter your living room. They shake hands and exchange greetings.)


    (The cat bride picks up a piece of meat from the table, licks it, and then turns her head to look at your bedroom door.)


    (You are startled and quickly run back to your bed.)


    (You lift the covers and find the cat bride hiding in the sheets.)


    (Your heart stops, and your pupils dte.)


    (You are scared to death.)


    (Deduction ends!)

 Chapter 68: Day by Day Increasingly Eerie Diary

    <h4>Chapter 68: Day by Day Increasingly Eerie Diary</h4>


    Gu Yi closed his eyes tightly andy on the bed, trying to regte his breathing.


    "Gu Yi? Gu Yi?"


    His mother called his name a few times and then left the bedroom.


    Once his mother waspletely gone, Gu Yi finally rxed. Hey still on the bed, afraid that his parents would discover that he wasn''t asleep.


    The sound of the door opening outside came.


    At this time, the cat bride and the mouse groom were probably engaged in some kind of transaction with his parents.


    <i>What kind of transaction would they need to do when the children were asleep at night?</i>


    <i>Was the mb meat" his parents talked about really referring tomb meat?</i>


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and waited for half an hour before he heard the sound of the cat bride and the mouse groom leaving, and his parents finally went upstairs.


    Gu Yi''s mind was in a mess, and he didn''t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi woke up from his sleep and immediately grabbed his phone to check his messages.


    Sure enough, the anonymous user had sent him another text message.


    <i>[May 13, 2021, sunny.]</i>


    <i>[The clown hasn''te to see me again. I think it''s because my brother drove him away.]</i>


    <i>[Last night, I overheard my parents talking to strangers. I couldn''t understand what they were saying.]</i>


    <i>[My mother subjected me to some special training, but I have no idea what the purpose of this training is.]</i>


    <i>[She made me soak in hot water until my skin turned red, and then she made me jump into an ice bucket. She said it would strengthen my willpower.]</i>


    <i>[I couldn''t stand the stimtion. It gave me a terrible headache.]</i>


    <i>[It would be so much better if you were here, big brother.]</i>


    Gu Yi frowned.


    Making someone soak in hot water and then jump into an ice bucket, seemed like torture and abuse no matter how you looked at it.


    <i>Wouldn''t that make them sick?</i>


    <i>And his mother called it training willpower?</i>


    This corroborated his grandmother''s words - "Your parents are no longer your parents."


    "What about my diary?"


    Gu Yi took out his diary from his backpack, and the entry for May 13 was already unlocked.


    <i>[May 13, 2021, sunny.]</i>


    <i>[Lately, my parents have been getting stranger and stranger.]</i>


    <i>[Last night, as I passed by my mom''s bedroom, I saw her shedding tears of blood in front of the mirror. She used her nails to scratch her own face, leaving deep bloody marks, sttering blood on her dressing table.]</i>


    <i>[My dad saw me standing at the door and quickly rushed over to pull me aside.]</i>


    <i>[I told him there was something wrong with Mom, but he insisted that she was in great health. I felt extremely horrified, but after a while, my mother walked out of the room without any scars on her face.]</i>


    <i>[Tonight, my parents made braisedmb. It had been three or four years since Ist hadmb.]</i>


    <i>[There was a strange taste to themb, and I thought it might have gone bad, but my parents were still enjoying it.]</i>


    <i>[What is going on with them?]</i>


    Gu Yipared the two diary entries repeatedly, deep in thought.


    Whether it was his sister''s diary or the diary of "I", starting from May 13, their parents'' behavior became bizarre.


    In his sister''s diary, although their parents'' behavior was strange, they were still in a realistic state.


    <i>In the diary of "I", the mother has already transformed into something weird. Does this mean that "I" entered the inner world a year ago?</i>


    <i>However, there doesn''t seem to be any immediate danger in these two diary entries. Today is the weekend, and it''s a perfect opportunity for me to explore outside.</i>


    Gu Yi left the bedroom and had breakfast with his family.


    His mother held her bowl and chopsticks, calmly looking at her children.


    "Do you have any ns for today?"


    His sister looked up. "I''m going to a ssmate''s house to y."


    "Have you finished your homework?"


    "Yes, it''s done."


    Mother nodded and turned to Gu Yi. "And what about you?"


    "I''m going to hang out with friends."


    "Hang out? Forget it, you better stay at home and review your schoolwork. The college entrance exam ising up."


    Gu Yi cursed inwardly, but unexpectedly, his father spoke up.


    "Too much studying every day will make our son dull. It''s okay to rx for a day. Don''t be so strict."


    Mother frowned and thought for a moment. "Well, where are you going to hang out?"


    "Just in town, not far."


    "Well, that''s good. Just make sure you don''t leave the town, okay?"


    "I know."


    Gu Yi quickly finished his breakfast, grabbed his bag, and ran out of the house.


    [4 days, 23 hours, 18 minutes]


    There''s no ss today, and his parents didn''t assign any extra tasks. The next twenty-four hours arepletely free for him to do as he pleases.


    At this point, the time in the small town has finally synchronized with the countdown.


    However, the residents of the small town still had nk, lifeless eyes. If they were too far away from him, they would turn into pixted blocks.


    Gu Yi walked to the neighboring house and knocked on the door of his deskmate, Chen Dong.


    After some negotiation, Gu Yi sessfully borrowed a bicycle.


    He rode the bicycle around the small town.


    The town was notrge in size, and it only took about two hours to circle around its perimeter.


    So far, Gu Yi had explored the high school, the elementary school, and the clinic.


    There was nothing worth exploring in high school and elementary school.


    The clinic, like the old house, was a special ce that could directly connect to the surface world under certain circumstances.


    Gu Yi thought that if there was only one exit in the town, it would either be the clinic or the old house.


    So, Gu Yi rode his bicycle to the clinic.


    Suddenly, something crossed Gu Yi''s mind.


    His mother had always been taking medication for cancer treatment. Could it be prescribed from this clinic?


    Gu Yi walked into the pharmacy of clinic.


    This was a small town, and the residents almost all knew each other. As soon as Gu Yi appeared, the doctor at the pharmacy immediately recognized him.


    "Oh? Aren''t you the eldest in the Gu family?"


    Gu Yi nced at the doctor''s name badge and smiled. "Hello, Dr. Li."


    "Why did youe to the clinic? Are you feeling unwell?"


    "No, I just came to help my mom get her prescription."


    "Didn''t your mome to get her medication justst week? Why does she need another prescription?"


    "Oh, really?" Gu Yi smiled innocently. "Maybe my mom made a mistake. She hasn''t been looking quite welltely."


    "It''s alright. As long as your mom rests well, the condition can be controlled. She''s still young and will recover quickly."


    "My mom... when did she get sick?"


    "Don''t you know?"


    "They''ve been refusing to tell me all along. It was only a few days ago that she couldn''t hide it from me anymore, and she told me."


    "Parents'' hearts are full of concern... They''re probably worried about it affecting your college entrance exam, right?" Dr. Li sighed. "Actually, I''m not quite sure when she got sick. Probablyst year?"


    "Last year?"


    "Well... maybe even earlier?"


    "Can you give me a specific date?"


    "How can I give you a specific date?"


    "Don''t you have medication records or medical reports here? Can''t you help me check?"

 Chapter 69: Clinic Arson

    <h4>Chapter 69: Clinic Arson</h4>


    Dr. Li looked at Gu Yi with some confusion.


    In principle, these things are the patient''s privacy and should not be shown to anyone other than the patient.


    "Sorry, little Gu, but I can''t help you with that. I don''t have the authority. Why don''t you go back and ask your mother?"


    "Oh, alright."


    Gu Yi shrugged and casually walked into the restroom. He sat on the toilet and began to contemte.


    There must be specific information avable at the clinic, but the doctors refrain from sharing it with anyone other than the patients to protect their privacy.


    Gu Yi had very little information at hand, and he didn''t want to miss any opportunity for investigation.


    "If that''s the case, I''ll have to resort to some special means."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You leave the toilet.)


    (Dr. Li is in the office, patient areing back and forth, you can''t sneak into the office to investigate theputer.)


    (After contemting for a moment, you decide to forcefully drive the clinic''s patients out.)


    (You leave the clinic and buy liquor and a lighter from a nearby convenience store.)


    (You start a fire near the entrance of the outpatient department. Worried that the fire might not be significant enough, you even scatter garbage onto the fire.)


    (People in the clinic are indeed attracted to themotion, and they rush out to extinguish the fire.)


    (Taking advantage of the chaos, you return to the clinic and sneak into Dr. Li''s office.)


    (The clinic is connected to the city''s tertiary hospitals through awork, so you can easily ess all of your mother''s medical records.)


    (You input your mother''s name, Jin Zhi.)


    (You find your mother''s medical records.)


    (She was diagnosed on March 12, 2021, and started taking targeted drugs in early May.)


    (You also check the medical records of yourself, your father, your sister, and your grandmother.)


    (Your father and you have had no major illnesses in the past two years.)


    (Your sister was diagnosed with cancer on February 1, 2021, but on March 14, it was determined to be a misdiagnosis.)


    (You suffered an injury on May 11, 2021, and the medical record indicates a fractured left arm due to a car ident.)


    (Your grandmother was hospitalized on May 11, 2021, due to heart disease.)


    (The noise outside grows louder, and you hear the sirens of a fire truck.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes again and sat on the toilet, carefully recalling the details from earlier and identifying several points of suspicion.


    1. On March 12, 2021, Gu Yi''s mother was diagnosed with cancer, and in the same month, his sister''s cancer was determined to be a misdiagnosis. It''s difficult not to associate these two events.


    2. On May 11, 2021, "I" was injured, which coincided with the start of the diary.


    3. At the same time, his grandmother was hospitalized due to heart disease, possibly due to the shock of hearing about Gu Yi and his sister''s ident. However, neither "I" nor his sister mentioned their grandmother''s hospitalization in their diaries, which is highly unusual.


    4. It''s strange that the hospital records and medication records can only be viewed until May 18, 2021. No information is avable for the period after that.


    Gu Yi touched his nose and reasoned about these four points of suspicion.


    <strong>Regarding the first point:</strong>


    After his sister''s misdiagnosis, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and started taking targeted drugs two monthster. If this is not a mere coincidence, it''s highly likely that some unspeakable force is at work.


    Could it be that the "Unspeakable" transferred his sister''s cancer to his mother?


    If that''s the case, could the "Unspeakable" actually be a benevolent entity?


    It''s impossible to be certain; this can only be considered a spection.


    <strong>Regarding the second point:</strong>


    On May 11, "I" fractured his arm. Considering the information from the diary, it''s possible to make a reasonable inference about what happened on the day of the ident. After the ident, "I" suffered a fracture while his sister tragically died.


    The true events of the surface world remain unknown, but the inner world must reflect to some extent what happened in the surface world.


    <strong>Regarding the third point:</strong>


    The fact that neither "I" nor his sister mentioned their grandmother''s illness or hospitalization suggests that their parents started concealing the situation from that day onwards.


    ording to their grandmother''s words, their parents had "betrayed their conscience" since then.


    Additionally, there''s another detail.


    When Gu Yi went to the hospital to visit his grandmother, one of the nurses said, "No one has paid Han Chunzhu''s medical expenses since her admission. It has been nearly a month overdue."


    This indicates that only one month has passed in the surface world''s time frame.


    The flow of time in the surface world and the inner world must be different.


    Furthermore, judging by his grandmother''s tone, it can be inferred that in the surface world, "I" may be undergoing suffering, to the extent that he is seen as being in an unhealthy state by his grandmother.


    <i>Regarding the fourth point:</i>


    The inability to ess medication records after May 18 is because, in the surface world''s time frame, his mother didn''t have any medication activity, so naturally, it wouldn''t be reflected.


    "Damn it, I was really deceived by the system! The dungeon introduction mentioned one year, but in reality, I''ve been trapped in the inner world for a year while only a month has passed in the surface world.


    <i>Except for the bedroom, I can''t find any clocks or calendars here. It''s all designed to confuse my sense of time, and I can only rely on the countdown on my phone to determine the time.</i>


    <i>Furthermore, the "car ident" may not actually refer to a car ident. Just like the peculiar entities such as the Cat Bride, Mouse Groom, Clown, and Lamb Meat, they likely have hidden meanings.</i>


    If we assume this, the car ident may represent an event significant enough to change the fate of the family."


    All the information Gu Yi obtained was through unconventional means. If he follows the progress of the dungeon''s plot, he may encounter more difficulties in finding clues about the surface world''s time flow.


    Having obtained sufficient information, Gu Yi immediately left the clinic and continued exploring the small town on his bicycle.


    Suddenly, he heard the sound of a suona.


    Gu Yi''s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly rode his bicycle into a neighbor''s yard.


    When the neighbor saw Gu Yi, he tilted his head and looked at him.


    Ignoring the neighbor, Gu Yi hid behind the front gate and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You peek your head out and observe carefully.)


    (The wedding procession passes by on the other side of the river, moving at a rapid pace. Your parents drive away from the old house, following the procession towards the outskirts of the town, quickly disappearing from sight.)


    (You feel a burning sensation in your chest.)


    (You lift your cor and realize that the eyepatch is heating up.)


    (You put on the eyepatch.)


    (Your vision bes pitch ck, and nothing else seems to happen.)


    (Without removing the eyepatch, you get on your bicycle and follow the procession from a distance.)


    (The wedding procession passes by the convenience store and disappears into the void outside the town.)


    (You jump off your bicycle.)


    (You specte thatst night your parents reached some agreement with the Cat Bride and Mouse Groom, and today they must be going toplete the transaction.)

 Chapter 70: Lamb Meat (1)

    <h4>Chapter 70: Lamb Meat (1)</h4>


    (You take off the eyepatch.)


    (Your left eye is bloodshot and swollen, and you notice a small ck sh not far away.)


    (You approach it and reach out to touch it.)


    (The burning sensation in your eyes immediately dissipates.)


    (You find yourself standing in front of the convenience store.)


    (Shopkeeper: What can I do for you?)


    (You: I thought I saw something here just now, but it might have been my imagination.)


    (The shopkeeper remains silent, only nodding.)


    (You attempt to leave, but you realize that whenever you move away from the convenience store, your eyes start burning again.)


    (You understand that the eyepatch is giving you a clue.)


    (You return to the convenience store.)


    (Shopkeeper: What do you want to buy? Almond water?)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You: Shopkeeper, do you know where I can buy mb meat"?)


    (Shopkeeper: Formb meat, you should go to the market. This is just a convenience store.)


    (You: I''m talking about that kind of mb meat".)


    (The shopkeeper shakes his head.)


    (Shopkeeper: I don''t know what you''re talking about. Leave quickly.)


    (You: What exactly is mb meat"?)


    (Shopkeeper: If you don''t leave, I''ll call the police! Why would someone so young want to buy something like that? Get out, or I''ll call the police on you!)


    (The shopkeeper waves his fist.)


    (You curl your lips, cover your left eye, and leave.)


    (You rest by the roadside for a while until the swelling in your eye gradually subsides.)


    (You specte that mb meat" is a code word, and the shopkeeper is likely involved in illicit activities.)


    (In some ces, mb meat" and "beef" represent different types of illegal goods.)


    (If that''s the case, then your parents'' involvement in the mb meat" business means they are engaged in uwful activities, which confirms your grandmother''s im that they have betrayed their conscience.)


    (You wait for a while, and the sound of the suona ys again.)


    (You quickly find a ce to hide.)


    (The wedding procession appears again, but this time, your parents'' car is not among them.)


    (The Mouse Groom looks around while riding on a horse, then walks towards the convenience store.)


    (The Mouse Groom dismounts, buys a bottle of almond water from the shopkeeper, and then the entire wedding procession disappears.)


    (You pause for a moment and take a sip of the almond water.)


    (You can see the Mouse Groom and the wedding procession again.)


    (The Mouse Groom didn''t leave; instead, he buried his head under a por tree near the convenience store, digging a hole. Surprisingly, there is a wooden board beneath the tree. He lifts the board and jumps in.)


    (After a while, the Mouse Groom emerges with a small suitcase, and he quickly covers the wooden board with soil.)


    (The wedding procession sets off again and leaves the town.)


    (You quickly run to the por tree and uncover the wooden board.)


    (The board bes blurry in your eyes, and you take another sip of the almond water.)


    (You lift the board, revealing a deep, seemingly bottomless tunnel.)


    (Gritting your teeth, you jump down.)


    (In front of you, it''s pitch ck, and you fumble around until you find a light switch within reach.)


    (You find yourself in a massive cer, roughly the size of a ssroom.)


    (The cer is filled with rows and rows of shelves, stacked with bloody chunks of meat.)


    (The pungent smell of decay and blood fills the air, furrowing your brow.)


    (These are supposed to be the so-called mb meat".)


    (You examine the patterns on the meat closely, but they appear no different from regrmb meat.)


    (You can''t determine if there is any symbolic meaning to this mb meat".)


    (You walk to the end of the cer and discover a desk. On the desk, you find a document covered in thick fog, making it difficult to read.)


    (*** Contract)


    (*** Price: ***)


    (Contractor: Gu **)


    (This seems to be a contract, and the fog covering it suggests it is controlled by the "Unspeakable". The Cat Bride and Mouse Groom may be manifestations of this dungeon''s Unspeakable.)


    (The content of the contract is not discernible at the moment, but you specte that the contractor is your own father.)


    (You open the desk drawer and find another eyepatch.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a moist sensation above your head.)


    (You look up and see arge, wriggling piece ofmb meat on the ceiling, with blood dripping down from it.)


    (Themb meat on the shelves falls to the ground and begins crawling toward you.)


    (Themb meat descends from above, covering your mouth and nose.)


    (You feel suffocated.)


    (Your vision turns pitch ck.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and made eye contact with the neighbor.


    "Isn''t this little Gu?" the neighbor said.


    "Uh... hello," Gu Yi awkwardly waved at the neighbor. "I''m just hiding here for a while. Can you not tell my parents?"


    "Sure."


    The neighbor blinked and pretended not to see Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi squatted behind the door, listening to the fading sound of the suona. Only then did he run out of the neighbor''s yard.


    There was a cer under the por tree behind the convenience store, and that''s where the other half of the eyepatch was. That''s why the eyepatch heated up when he approached the convenience store.


    The eyepatch couldn''t fulfill its intended purpose temporarily, probably because it was iplete.


    Inside the cer, there was strangemb meat, and before entering, Gu Yi had to find a way to deal with those peculiar pieces of meat.


    "So... what does mb meat'' actually mean?"


    Gu Yi muttered to himself, touching his nose.


    The neighbor tilted his head and smiled, "Little Gu, do you want to eatmb meat?"


    "Huh?"


    "We happen to be cookingmb meat for lunch. Would you like to try it?"


    "No, no, it''s fine."


    Gu Yi waved his hand. Only then did he catch a whiff of the strong smell of blood and fleshing from the house.


    He had been engrossed in thinking about the deductions, so he hadn''t noticed it before.


    "What a pity," the neighbor shook his head. "It''s rare for our town to have a market day. It''s not easy to buymb meat."


    "A market? Where is it?"


    "Don''t you know? It''s at the market square to the north. The vendors will be gone by tomorrow."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    There didn''t seem to be any clues in the vige for now, so it would be worth checking out the market.


    Gu Yi hopped on his bicycle and quickly arrived at the market square to the north.


    There were numerous vendors at the market square, and the crowd was so dense that Gu Yi could hardly move.


    There was a strong smell of blood and fleshing from the stalls.


    There weren''t many stalls selling local specialties, but there were an overwhelming number of vendors sellingmb meat. Almost every few steps, Gu Yi could see someone sellingmb meat.


    <i>"Baa, baa!"</i>


    One vendor even had two livembs on disy, attracting a long line of people inquiring about the price.


    "This is strange..."


    <i>"Baa, baa!"</i>


    Onemb managed to break free, rushing out from the crowd.


    The townspeople hurriedly chased after it, finally cornering themb on the ground. The vendor approached, cursing, and whipped themb twice.


    <i>"Baa, baa!"</i>


    "Keep crying! You''ve been disobedient all the way here. I''ll punish you by not letting you eat for three days!"


    <i>"Baa..."</i>


    Themb was tightly bound, desperately squirming.


    Gu Yi made eye contact with themb, and he felt a pang of sympathy. It was as if, at that moment, he had formed a spiritual connection with themb.


    "How much is thismb?" he asked.

 Chapter 71: Lamb Meat (2)

    <h4>Chapter 71: Lamb Meat (2)</h4>


    "How much is thismb?" Gu Yi asked.


    "Huh?" The vendor looked up, puzzled, and nced at Gu Yi. "What does a kid like you know? Go back home. If you want to buy, ask your parents toe, okay?"


    <i>Do I need to have my parents'' consent to buy amb?</i>


    Gu Yi paused, looking around.


    All the customers inquiring about the price were older than him. After a moment of silence, Gu Yi bowed his head and ran out of the market.


    "It seems I need to try a different approach."


    Gu Yi bought a peaked cap and a mask at the market entrance, then squatted by the roadside, silently waiting.


    There might be familiar faces from his neighborhood in the market.


    Since the adults in town were so cautious about the trade ofmb meat, appearing at the market might alert his parents. Although he didn''t know what consequences it would bring, it would undoubtedly increase the difficulty of clearing customs.


    Gu Yi took a sip of almond water out of boredom and happened to see a family leaving with amb.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, thatmb was the one that had tried to escape earlier.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You put on a mask, lower your cap, and follow closely.)


    (The buyer and his wife stuff themb into the trunk and drive away. You quickly ride your bicycle to follow them.)


    (The buyers'' house is near your school. After parking, the buyer and his wife lift themb out.)


    (Themb touches the ground with its four hooves, bleating and struggling to free itself from the rope around its hooves.)


    (The wife curses loudly but gets knocked to the ground by themb.)


    (The husband takes a shovel from the yard and smashes it on themb''s head. Themb forcefully butts its head, breaking off one of its horns and sending the shovel flying.)


    (Themb lifts its front hoof and kicks the husband in the chest before leaping away and running out of the yard.)


    (The buyer and his wife scream loudly.)


    (Themb, in a panic, runs towards you, and you quickly move your bicycle to the side. Themb is fast, and if you weren''t on a bicycle, you won''t be able to catch up.)


    (The buyer and his wife see you and me you for not stopping themb.)


    (You remain silent, ride around the couple, and continue following themb.)


    (The couple''s car blocks themb''s escape route ahead, but the nimblemb jumps over the front of the car and runs towards the town entrance.)


    (The husband rolls down the car window and loudly asks for help. Neighbors hear the noise and ride their electric scooters to help catch themb.)


    (In no time, residents from half of the street have rushed out.)


    (You feel surprised by themotion. <i>Why would a singlemb attract such a crowd?</i>)


    (Themb runs into a small grove, and the residents follow suit.)


    (Without hesitation, you ride your bicycle into the grove as well.)


    (The bicycle is difficult to maneuver on the muddy ground, so you leave it aside.)


    (The residents shout.)


    (A: You go over there and search!)


    (B: This grove isn''t big; it can''t escape.)


    (C: The west side leads out of town. A few of you block the exit there, while the rest of us will search in the grove.)


    (You follow themb''s hoofprints to track it down.)


    (As you reach the center of the grove, you find it increasingly difficult to trace the hoofprints. The voices of the residents also fade, indicating they are no longer searching. As long as the exits are blocked, themb has nowhere to run.)


    (You don''t give up and continue searching.)


    (After about ten minutes, you discover themb behind a pile of bushes.)


    (It is covered in wounds, with one horn broken.)


    (You try to approach themb.)


    (Themb immediately stands up and points its broken horn toward you.)


    (You take two steps back.)


    (You: I''m here to help you escape.)


    (Themb tilts its head and looks at you.)


    (You: I''ll take you away.)


    (Themb seems to understand your words and rubs its head against your leg.)


    (You lead themb to the edge of the grove and find adults standing near the town entrance, including the buyer and his wife.)


    (You: Wait here for a moment. I''ll lead those people away.)


    (Themb doesn''t make any sound.)


    (You run out of the grove and im to have seen themb heading north, away from the grove.)


    (The crowd believes you without hesitation.)


    (You turn back and lead themb to the town entrance.)


    (You also try to step out of the town, but you''re immediately pushed back by an invisible force.)


    (Themb leaves the town.)


    (A violent void storm outside the town immediately engulfs themb, tearing it into pieces.)


    (Surprised, you take two steps back.)


    (The residents are now standing behind you, and the buyer couple stares at you angrily.)


    (Husband: You let themb escape?)


    (Wife: Kill him!)


    (Someone strikes you on the head with a shovel.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and happened to see the buyer and his wife leading themb past him.


    Themb bleated, and the couple struggled to stuff it into the trunk of their car.


    "Another rule... Just lost amb, and they resort to killing a person?"


    Gu Yi scratched his head and took out a pen and paper to jot down the new rule.


    <i>[When amb attempts to escape, it must be stopped, and it cannot be allowed to leave the town.]</i>


    The residents of the town are simple and honest,parable to those in Gotham City. [1]


    Of course, Gu Yi didn''t really consider themb as amb.


    There must be a hidden metaphor behind all this.


    Before Gu Yi could ponder further, his phone rang.


    It was another call from his mother.


    "Mom."


    "Are youing home for dinner tonight?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be back."


    "We''re having braisedmb tonight. Come back early."


    "Um... alright."


    Gu Yi nodded and looked at the sky.


    There were no other ces to explore at the moment, so he had no choice but to go home.


    The town didn''t offer any additional clues. After today, a new diary entry would unlock, providing him with new leads.


    Gu Yi picked up his sister and strolled around for a while before returning home.


    His mother ced a te of braisedmb on the table. Her cooking skills were excellent, and Gu Yi couldn''t detect even a hint of a fishy smell.


    Gu Yi held his chopsticks but hesitated to pick up a piece ofmb. He remembered the diary entry saying, "Themb meat might have gone bad."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You pick up a piece ofmb and put it in your mouth.)


    (The taste is somewhat strange, but it actually tastes quite good.)


    (You continue to pick up another piece.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a severe pain in your stomach.)


    (Your whole body goes numb, and you start to breathe rapidly.)


    (Your parents look at you with confusion.)


    (Your vision goespletely ck.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    "Son, why aren''t you eating themb?" Your mother looks at you with a smile. "It''s been a while since you hadmb, right?"


    "No, I''ve been having some digestive issuestely, so I''ll pass."


    Gu Yi forced a smile and avoided looking at the te ofmb.

 Chapter 72: Lamb Meat (3)

    <h4>Chapter 72: Lamb Meat (3)</h4>


    "Okay, that''s a shame."


    The parents sighed and started eating the meat.


    The sister took a few bites but decided not to eat themb because it was tough to chew.


    After dinner.


    Gu Yi took out the piece of paper filled with rules and spections. He added a new rule: "Do not eatmb products."


    Gu Yi has gradually understood the intention of this dungeon.


    This was a dungeon that required him to reason, judge, and summarize the rules himself. One wrong move could trigger a deadly ending.


    Information gaps, time locks, and space locks were the biggest challenges within the dungeon.


    The only sources of written information in the entire dungeon were text messages on the phone and a diary. Unfortunately, both sources were vague and relied on the adventurer''s imagination and reasoning.


    During the day, Gu Yi was busy exploring the small town and didn''t have time to think carefully.


    Now that he had some free time, he could ponder and reason slowly.


    "Lamb... What does it represent? Is it referring to drugs?" Gu Yi rubbed his chin. "No, that''s not right. Lambs are living beings, not inanimate objects, so... Doesmb meat refer to... humans?"


    "Ugh..."


    As he thought of this, Gu Yi instinctively covered his mouth, feeling nauseated.


    <i>--No wonder he would trigger an instant death event after consuming mb meat"!</i>


    Gu Yi had a friend who studied forensic medicine, and he had mentioned that cooked human flesh had a simr taste tomb meat, with a sweet and fishy vor.


    During times of war and famine in ancient times, humans were referred to as "two-leggedmbs."


    If he viewedmbs as living humans, everything he had experienced during the day would make sense.


    Themb dealers were human traffickers.


    The couple who bought themb panicked and rallied all their neighbors to chase after it because they had spent money to purchase a living person.


    Themb would be torn apart by the void storm after leaving the town because it was unfamiliar with the treacherous terrain and couldn''t leave the steep mountains and ridges on its own.


    Human trafficking was an illegal activity, and all the residents of the town had been involved at some point, either as buyers or sellers.


    If one mb" escaped, everyone would help capture it.


    <i>¡ª¡ªThey are simplymitting evil collectively!</i>


    By releasing the mb," in the eyes of the other residents, he had betrayed the entire town, which led to them mobbing and killing him.


    Themb meat cooked by his parents might not actually be human flesh, but it symbolized how his parents used money earned from trafficking to support themselves, making him feel like he was "eating human flesh."


    As Gu Yi reached this conclusion, his anger reached its peak.


    In Gu Yi''s view, the greatest evil in this dungeon was not the unspeakable, but rather the residents who resorted to desperate measures and engaged in human trafficking.


    "Alright, let''s go to sleep and see what kind of diary entry will unlock tomorrow."


    Gu Yi put away the pen and paper andy down on the bed to sleep.


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi first opened his phone to check the new message from the anonymous user.


    <i>[May 14, 2021, sunny]</i>


    <i>[I have developed many frostbites on my body. My mom applied rat oil to my wounds. She said these strange things can treat frostbite.]</i>


    <i>[I have a fever. It only slightly subsided in the evening.]</i>


    <i>[I don''t feel like writing anymore. So tired.]</i>


    "What is rat oil? Is it oil made from rat fat? Disgusting..."


    In yesterday''s diary, the sister was tortured by their mother, and the next day, she not only had frostbite but also caught a fever.


    However, the mother not only didn''t take the sister to the hospital but also used this strange "rat oil" as a medication, making the sister''s life increasingly unbearable.


    Gu Yi felt that the anonymous user was bing somewhat suspicious.


    Previously, Gu Yi thought that the anonymous user was on the opposite side, trying to trigger a death event for him. But now, Gu Yi started to think that this was a cry for help from the anonymous user.


    "Let''s see if there are any new clues in my diary."


    <i>[May 14, 2021, sunny]</i>


    <i>[Last night, I dreamt of my sister again, and I saw that she was enduring torment. I still can''t let it go. I always feel that it was my mistake that caused my sister to lose her life.]</i>


    <i>[My parents left early in the morning, saying there was something urgent, but they didn''t mention what it was.]</i>


    <i>[Today, when I went to school, I noticed that my ssmates and teachers were acting strangely. Their eyes gradually lost their radiance. Chen Dong stares with dead fish-like eyes every day, and I have no idea what he''s thinking.]</i>


    <i>[During PE ss, I heard the sound of whip cracking and whistlesing from next door.]</i>


    <i>[Could it be that someone invited a clown to perform?]</i>


    Starting from May 14th, "I" became aware of the illusion of the inner world.


    And on this day, a clown would pass by the school.


    Clearly, the clown in this dungeon yed a simr role to the pig-headed shop owner in the previous one.


    This was a rare opportunity, and Gu Yi had to find a way to avoid going to school, otherwise, time would elerate again today.


    "What should I do? Can I deceive my parents with that method?"


    Gu Yi lightly tapped on the table and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You p yourself in the mirror until your cheeks turn red.)


    (You take out a thermometer and heat it over a light bulb until the temperature reaches 38 degrees.)


    (You lie down on the bed and pretend to be dead.)


    (Mother knocks on the door.)


    (You: Mom, I have a fever.)


    (Mother enters, looking worried.)


    (Mother: Fever? What''s the temperature?)


    (You hand the thermometer to your mother.)


    (Mother: Should I take you to the hospital?)


    (You: No need, I still have to go to school.)


    (Mother: How can you go like this? Let me inform your teacher and take you to the hospital.)


    (You: I''ll just rest at home for a while, I don''t want to go to the hospital.)


    (Mother: But...)


    (Father walks to the door and urges the mother.)


    (Father: We agreed not to bete. What are you hesitating about?)


    (Mother: Our son is sick.)


    (Father: We have fever-reducing medicine at home, take it and rest. Your mother and I will leave first.)


    (Mother doesn''t say anything. She covers you with a nket and leaves. Your sister stands by the door, wanting to say something but hesitates.)


    (You lie on the bed and hear the sound of the car starting.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes andy on the bed.


    Using a light bulb to heat the thermometer was a trick he had tried as a child, but it had never worked. Whenever his parents discovered he had a fever, no matter how urgent the situation, they would always take him to the hospital first.


    But looking at the parents in the dungeon...


    Gu Yi shook his head and found a thermometer in the drawer, following the deduction.


    Before long, his mother indeed came into the bedroom, just as the deduction had predicted.


    "Son, what''s wrong with you?"


    Gu Yi lowered his head and looked at his mother, feeling that her concerned gaze had be insincere.


    Suddenly, Gu Yi remembered his grandmother''s words before she passed away.


    What she might have wanted to say was likely to be¡ª"Gu Jianjun is not your father!"

 Chapter 73: Dark Moon Circus (1)

    <h4>Chapter 73: Dark Moon Circus (1)</h4>


    "I''m sick."


    Gu Yi weakly said.


    His mother approached and took the thermometer from Gu Yi''s hand. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "You''re sick? Should I take you to see a doctor?"


    Gu Yi remained silent, only closing his eyes.


    His mother held the thermometer, feeling uncertain. "Should I inform your school first?"


    Gu Yi still didn''t speak.


    His mother gently touched Gu Yi''s cheeks and forehead. "You''re really burning up. Let me take you to the hospital. Wait here, I''ll inform my workce first."


    Gu Yi''s heart remained calm.


    The younger sister stood by the door frame, looking at the silent brother, hesitating to speak.


    "Work leave? It''s just a cold and fever. We have fever-reducing medicine at home. Just give him some," his father interrupted, grabbing hold of his mother. "We''ve already made arrangements with them. Are you nning to break your promise?"


    His mother hesitated for a moment, then covered Gu Yi with the nket. "Let me bring you a ss of water. Rest well at home."


    His parents left the room.


    Gu Yi turned his head and nced at his sister.


    She hesitated, then turned and followed their father¡ªshe still had to go to school.


    Gu Yiy on the bed, listening to the sound of his father starting the car. His mother had said she would bring him water before leaving, but she never came.


    Gu Yi got up from the bed and took out his notebook, writing down new spection on the paper.


    <i>[Parents are not "I''s" biological parents. "I" might have been abducted.]</i>


    Gu Yi nced at his phone for the time.


    [3 days, 23 hours, 39 minutes]


    The countdown felt like a ticking time bomb right in front of him.


    Gu Yi changed his clothes and made his way to the school.


    Since his parents didn''t give him any specific tasks before leaving, the flow of time in the dungeon should be normal.


    Gu Yi walked to the school gate, which took him half an hour. He rested for a while at the entrance and indeed heard the sound of a whiping from next to the school.


    Following the direction of the sound, Gu Yi walked towards it.


    It was an empty space with nothing around.


    "Hmm... Do I need to drink almond water here too?"


    Gu Yi took out almond water from his backpack and took a sip, the aroma of almonds filled his nostrils.


    "Hiss¡ª"


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, and the empty space in front of him suddenly began to distort and transform.


    Arge gate surrounded by a void storm appeared before him, with a clown emblem hanging above the lintel.


    "Finally, I found you. Let the deduction begin!"


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You walk up to the eerie door and push it open.)


    (You are engulfed by the void.)


    (A minuteter, yound back on the ground.)


    (You find yourself in a bustling circus, but apart from you, there are no other guests in the circus.)


    (Clowns are happily performing acrobatics in front of you. They don''t speak, butmunicate with you through gestures.)


    (You continue walking and encounter the clown who had dived away into the water before.)


    (The clown happily waves at you and blows up a balloon crown to put on your head.)


    (The clown pulls you towards arge tent.)


    (In the center of the tent, there is a dwarf dressed in a ck and purple suit.)


    (Dwarf: Wee, esteemed guest, to the Dark Moon Circus. I am the head of the circus (ringmaster), Dark Moon. I must say, the crown on your head looks really beautiful. I hope you have a delightful time in our circus.)


    (You: Um... Thank you.)


    (Dark Moon: Oh, by the way, to ensure you can enjoy your time in the circus, please abide by our audience guidelines.)


    (Dark Moon snaps his fingers, and a set of audience guidelines with ck text on a white background appears in your palm.)


    ([Dark Moon Circus Audience Guidelines])


    (1. Please refrain from walking here and there or causing disturbances in the audience area, as it may affect other spectators'' viewing experience.)


    (2. The ringmaster may invite the audience to participate in interactive games. If you win in these mini-games, you will receive Dark Moon Prize Tickets.)


    (3. You get what you pay for. The items sold in our circus are absolutely genuine.)


    (4. There is no such thing as a free lunch in the circus. Please refrain from randomly picking up things from the roadside to eat, as it may harm you.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (The Dark Moon Circus audience guidelines are the second rule list you have found in the dungeon.)


    (The clown has been mentioned in both "I" and I''s sister''s diaries. Based on the current plot development, the circus should be neutral, just like the shop owner in the previous dungeon.)


    (You feel that you can trust them.)


    (You: Thank you. Can I watch the performances here?)


    (Dark Moon: Of course, as long as you have a ticket.)


    (You pause for a moment.)


    (Dark Moon stomps on the floor, levitates in front of you, and with a flick of his small hand, takes out the half eyepatch from your pocket.)


    (Dark Moon: Hmm... Isn''t this your ticket? Purchased by Gu Yao. Who is she to you?)


    (You pause for a moment.)


    (You: She''s my sister.)


    (Dark Moon: Ah, I see. Keep the ticket and go take your seat quickly.)


    (Dark Moon scratches a mark on the eyepatch with his nail and hands it back to you.)


    (You tuck away the eyepatch and take your seat.)


    (The circus performance begins.)


    (Ten men with identical appearances appear at the edge of the stage, performing various acrobatic acts.)


    (Dark Moon holds a microphone and looks around.)


    (Dark Moon: Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin today''s interactive segment. Does anyone want to participate?)


    (You immediately stand up.)


    (Dark Moon: Great, and this audience member''s name is...)


    (You: Gu Yi.)


    (Dark Moon: Excellent, Mr. Gu, pleasee down!)


    (Music ys, and you jump down from the audience seats.)


    (The scene on the stage immediately changes. An obsidian runway appears beneath your feet, filled with various obstacles.)


    (A bnce beam, a suspension bridge, a climbing wall...)


    (Beneath these obstacles, there is scorching magma.)


    (The heat clouds your vision.)


    (Dark Moon: Mr. Gu, this is our interactive mini-game. I will send one of my subordinates topete with you. If you can reach the finish line before him, you will receive our Dark Moon Prize Ticket.)


    (Dark Moon ps his hands.)


    (Another dwarf with pointed ears descends from above andnds in front of you.)


    (Dark Moon points.)


    (Dark Moon: Take your positions.)


    (You and the dwarf stand side by side.)


    (Dark Moon: Ready... Set... Go!)


    (You dash forward.)


    (The dwarf is much shorter than you and can''t match your speed.)


    (You feel puzzled.)


    (Did Dark Moon choose such a subordinate to race against you because he thinks you''ll not win?)


    (You raise your vignce.)


    (You reach the first obstacle ahead.)


    (It''s a bnce beam.)


    (You nce back, and the dwarf is three meters behind you.)


    (You step onto the bnce beam.)


    (You take two steps forward.)


    (Suddenly, your shocees undone.)


    (You step on the shoce, slip, and fall into the magma.)


    (You turn into ashes.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (The deduction ends!)

 Chapter 74: Dark Moon Circus (2)

    <h4>Chapter 74: Dark Moon Circus (2)</h4>


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and looked at his shoes, feeling frustrated as he said,


    "How could such an unlucky thing happen? If I had known earlier, I wouldn''t have worn shoes withces."


    He gazed at the door in front of him, feeling immensely excited.


    <i>--The Dark Moon Circus had provided him with so many clues!</i>


    <strong>First:</strong>


    The eyepatch in Gu Yi''s hand served as the circus ticket, which was purchased by his sister. By passing the circus''s trials and obtaining the "Dark Moon Prize Tickets," he could infer what reward his sister had received from the circus.


    <i>Second:</i>


    Spection about the rules.


    The only two ces in the entire dungeon that have clear rules, without requiring adventurers to deduce them, are the Dark Moon Circus and the old house. There must be some inherent connection between these two ces.


    "Backtrack!"


    (Backtracking Begins!)


    (You and the dwarf stand at the starting line.)


    (You squat down, take off your shoes and socks.)


    (After thinking for a moment, you decide to take off your clothes as well, leaving only your underwear.)


    (Dark Moon: What are you doing?)


    (You: Reducing drag.)


    (Dark Moon: Hahaha, it seems Mr. Gu is very serious about the race. Let''s start the race officially. On your marks, get set, go!)


    (You run out, leaving the dwarf unable to keep up with your pace.)


    (You jump onto the bnce beam, crossing it as if walking on thin ice.)


    (The second obstacle is a tform jump, which requires swinging across from overhead ropes.)


    (You grab onto the rope and swing across.)


    (Halfway through, the rope breaks, and you frantically try to stabilize yourself in mid-air, narrowly avoiding falling into theva.)


    (You grab onto the tform and manage to climb up, barely.)


    (Your physical fitness is not excellent, and you take a break to catch your breath.)


    (At this point, the dwarf has sessfully crossed the bnce beam and reached the tform jump, effortlessly swinging across on the rope.)


    (The third obstacle is a climbing wall, but the dwarf''s short limbs make his movements slow.)


    (You have rested enough and turn around to climb.)


    (You quickly reach the top.)


    (Your hands are sweaty, and you fail to grip the handrail, resulting in falling down.)


    (Yound on the ground, feeling dizzy.)


    (You hear the whistle blowing.)


    (The dwarf climbs over the climbing wall before you.)


    (You lose the race.)


    (Dark Moon: I''m sorry, Mr. Gu, but you lost the race and will have to face our punishment!)


    (Your whole body is in intense pain.)


    (A clown mask starts growing on your face.)


    (You gradually lose yourself.)


    (You die.)


    (Backtracking ends!)


    "Huh?" Gu Yi opened his eyes, "Could it be that these guys have tampered with my track?"


    Gu Yi shook his head and re-deduced.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You and the dwarf stand at the starting line.)


    (You take off your shoes and clothes.)


    (Dark Moon: Huh? What are you doing?)


    (You: What? Is running without clothes against the rules?)


    (Dark Moon: Hahaha... Well then, let''s get started. On your marks...)


    (You: Wait, I request a change of track.)


    (Dark Moon: What?)


    (You: I want to switch tracks with him. I don''t want to take this route.)


    (Dark Moon: Alright.)


    (You and the dwarf exchange tracks.)


    (The race begins.)


    (You reach the bnce beam first.)


    (Suddenly,va erupts and sshes onto the bnce beam.)


    (The bnce beam is instantly ignited, but you use both hands and feet to crawl to the other side.)


    (You jump up and grab onto the rope.)


    (Your palms are too sweaty, and you almost slip. You quickly swing back and wrap the rope around your wrist twice.)


    (You finally swing to the other side.)


    (You turn your head and see the dwarf already halfway up the climbing wall.)


    (You quickly run over.)


    (The climbing wall copses with a loud crash, hitting you on the head.)


    (Your vision goes ck.)


    (You die.)


    "Why is it like this?"


    Gu Yi touched his chin, pondering carefully.


    If the first failure was due to an ident and the second failure was due to tampering, then why did the third failure happen?


    It doesn''t make any sense.


    "So... I must have been punished by the rules. Which rule did I do wrong?"


    Gu Yi recalled the audience rules of the Dark Moon Circus, but he couldn''t find anything inappropriate. The rules were basicallymon etiquette for every audience member.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and carefully recalled every detail of his attempts to pass the challenges.


    "No, it''s not during the challenges, but right when I entered the circus."


    Gu Yi touched his nose.


    When he first entered the circus, the clown gave him a balloon crown and even praised Dark Moon him when he saw it.


    The fourth rule in the audience guidelines stated:


    <i>"4. The circus doesn''t offer a free lunch, so don''t pick up random things on the street to eat. It could harm you."</i>


    Here, "lunch" doesn''t just refer to food.


    The balloon crown given by the clown, isn''t that a free lunch?


    Last time, the balloon sword made by the clown could kill the snake monster directly. Can the balloon crown given by the clown this time has some mysterious power? Without a second thought, Gu Yi epted someone else''s kindness, not realizing that he had fallen into someone else''s trap.


    That balloon crown is very likely to be a cursed item that brings bad luck!


    "I understand now."


    After silently deducing it once, the problem indeedy with that balloon crown. Gu Yi twisted his neck and calmly walked into the enormous portal.


    The cheerful music of the circus reached Gu Yi''s ears.


    Just as he had deduced before, the familiar clown hopped and skipped over to Gu Yi and was about to put a balloon crown on him.


    "Ah! No need for that," Gu Yi instinctively moved his head back. "Take me to meet your leader."


    The clown was momentarily surprised but didn''t say anything. He pulled Gu Yi along and headed towards thergest tent in the circus.


    Gu Yi finally saw Dark Moon. He couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine.


    The Dark Moon he had deduced was wearing a ck-purple suit, but in reality, Dark Moon was wearing a pure ck suit.


    <i>--The Dark Moon Circuses from a higher dimension, and there were some deviations between my deductions and reality!</i>


    "Oh, wee to the Dark Moon Circus," Dark Moon said with a smile. "If you want to spend a joyful day in the circus, please abide by the following rules."


    As Dark Moon spoke, he handed a note with the rules to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi unfolded it and took a look.


    The note had ck text on a white background, but fortunately, the content was the same as his deductions, with only minor differences in certain details.


    "Thank you."


    "Now, sir, may I ask if you have your ticket with you?"


    "Of course."


    Gu Yi took out the eyepatch from his pocket.


    Dark Moon took the eyepatch and made a mark on it with his fingernail. Then he pointed towards the seating area, saying, "The Dark Moon Circus wees your presence. Please find a seat quickly, as the spectacr circus performance is about to begin."


    Gu Yi nodded and made his way to the seating area.


    At this moment, he felt a chilling sensation throughout his body, as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.


    The entire scene of the circus underwent a drastic transformation in his eyes.

 Chapter 75: Dark Moon Circus (3)

    <h4>Chapter 75: Dark Moon Circus (3)</h4>


    After Gu Yi took his seat in the audience area, everything around him underwent a drastic transformation.


    It turned out that the circus was not empty at all.


    The seating area was filled with peculiar-looking spectators.


    Some had yellow skin, muscr bumps all over their bodies, lightning-shaped tails, and two round blush-like patches on their cheeks. The person next to them, wearing a red hat and a blue jacket, seemed to be their guardian. [1]


    Some had a square shape, with holes all over their bodies, wearing a fish tank as a helmet and holding a snail as a pet. The creature next to them, resembling a starfish, was wearing beach shorts from head to toe, appearing to be their good friend. [2]


    There were even more exaggerated spectators, like a pot of dog tail flowers?


    Could it be that these were beings from other parallel universes?


    "The circus performance is about to begin!"


    Dark Moon held a microphone, with a sinister smile on his face.


    Gu Yi wasn''t in the mood to enjoy the performance; he was waiting for the interactive mini-games to start.


    After the performance of the ten simr clowns ended, Dark Moon returned to the stage.


    "Next, we''re going to have an interactive mini-game. Is there any audience member willing to give it a try?"


    "I will."


    Gu Yi stood up from his seat, and all the spectators in the audience turned their gaze toward him.


    Ufortably, Gu Yi twisted his neck¡ªanyone would feel uneasy being stared at by a bunch of strange creatures.


    "Come on, my friend, pleasee to the stage. May I ask how to address you?"


    "Gu Yi."


    Gu Yi calmly jumped onto the stage.


    Gasping for breath, Gu Yi stood at the finish line and looked back.


    The dwarf had only run halfway while he had alreadypleted the race.


    Without the curse of the balloon crown''s misfortune, Gu Yi''s progress went smoothly without any mishaps.


    He had practiced this in his deductions many times. Despite not having strong physical fitness, he sessfully won the race through his skill and familiarity with the course.


    While apuding, Dark Moon flew to Gu Yi''s side.


    "Mr. Gu, you are amazing! I have never seen such agility. I feel like you have run this track countless times."


    "In my dreams."


    "Haha, you are truly incredible."


    As Dark Moon spoke, he took out a purple ticket from his pocket and handed it to Gu Yi.


    The ticket had a ck moon depicted on it.


    "You have sessfullypleted our interactive game. Now you can take the ticket and go to our fortune teller to redeem your prize. Although he looks ugly, he is definitely a good person."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi nodded and left the big tent, clutching the ticket.


    The clown stood at the entrance of the tent, tiptoeing and pointing northeast.


    There was a small purple tent in that direction, with a white crystal ball painted on the curtain of the tent. Clearly, that was the fortune teller''s tent.


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi waved his hand and approached the entrance of the small tent. He closed his eyes and attempted to deduce.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You lift the curtain and walk inside.)


    (You see nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    "Tch... Could it be that I''ve encountered that guy again?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow and took a deep breath as he entered the tent.


    The tent''s ceiling was adorned with intricate star maps, shimmering with eerie purple fluorescence.


    In the center of the tent, there was a long table with two ornate redwood chairs ced opposite each other.


    The chair facing Gu Yi was decoratedvishly, resembling a throne.


    The edges of the long table were neatly adorned with crystal balls, tarot cards, pendulums, a feather pen, and parchment. Purple-scented candles filled the air with a faintvender fragrance.


    Gu Yi couldn''t help but frown. This set of table and chairs was identical to the ones on the third floor of the old house.


    "Is anyone here?"


    Gu Yi pulled out a chair and sat down.


    "I am here."


    A deep voice echoed.


    The fortune teller lifted the curtain and walked into the tent from the opposite side of Gu Yi. He wore a ck robe, and his hood covered half of his face.


    He sat in front of Gu Yi and slowly removed his own hood¡ªrevealing a face that was an exact replica of Gu Yi''s.


    "Gu Yi, it''s been a long time."


    "I feel like I''m looking into a mirror with terrible taste," Gu Yi waved his hand dismissively. "Enough with the enigmatic acts, it''s making me nauseous."


    "You really don''t appreciate the humor."


    The fortune teller snapped his fingers, and his face immediately transformed into a palette, blending various colors together.


    "Now, show me your ticket."


    Gu Yi nodded and tossed the ticket in front of the fortune teller.


    The fortune teller carefully examined the ticket, then tore it into pieces and burned it to ashes using a candle.


    "Now, two paths lie before you. I can directly allow you to leave the dream world, fulfilling the conditions for a normal level clearance. Or I can do divination for you and provide you with some important hints. What do you choose?"


    "Of course, the second option."


    "You are quite stubborn," the fortune teller sneered, his face palette turning blue as he caressed the crystal ball. "Look at it."


    Gu Yi turned his head and looked at the crystal ball.


    Suddenly, he felt a suffocating sensation, and in the next moment, the surrounding scenery abruptly changed. He found himself standing once again in the cer near the convenience store.


    The scene shifted again, and he was back in the small forest behind the elementary school. There, he saw a por tree identical to the one behind the convenience store, even the patterns on the trunk were exactly the same.


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi heard the sound of water, and immediately, his consciousness returned to the small tent.


    <i>"Congrattions on sessfully exploring [Dark Moon Circus]!"</i>


    <i>"Your storyline exploration progress has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 24%!"</i>


    Gu Yi loosened his cor, took a deep breath, and the system''s prompt undoubtedly provided the best confirmation of the fortune-telling results.


    The Dark Moon Circus yed a crucial role in the storyline exploration progress, contributing more than 10% to the progress.


    "Do you have any more questions?"


    "Tch, you''re still trying to tempt me into making mistakes even now?"


    Gu Yi sneered coldly.


    In the Dark Moon Circus, there was no free lunch, and the fortune teller''s overly enthusiastic behavior was far from normal.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    The fortune teller snapped his fingers, and his face palette changed to red.


    Gu Yi felt a suffocating sensation, and then, at the same time as the fortune teller, he was transported through space and arrived in the secret room on the third floor of the old house.


    Gu Yi instinctively nced at the countdown on his phone, which was now frozen.


    "Now we are no longer in the circus, and I have also helped you dispel the strange power in the secret room on the third floor of the old mansion. I have demonstrated my sincerity. Now, you can ask me three questions. I will only answer yes or no, and the questions must be rted to this dungeon."


    Gu Yi rubbed his nose and pondered for a moment.


    "Did my sister be unspeakable through the Dark Moon prize ticket?"


    "Yes."


    "Is there a clue in the secret room on the third floor of the old house to leave this town ahead of time?"


    "Yes."


    "Does the Dark Moon Circus only exist in this world?"


    "No."


    Gu Yi nodded, keeping all the clues in mind.


    "Alright, my task ispleted. Now we can talk about something personal," the fortune teller said with a smirking smile, "Gu Yi, the director really favors you. This time the dungeon was personally chosen for you by him. It''s his special care for you, which is enough to show his affection for you."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Gu Yi, you are a clever person."


    Gu Yi felt a chill run down his spine as if someone was constantly observing his every move.


    "What is the director''s objective?"


    "To create a great masterpiece."


    "At the cost of tormenting humans? Leaving them in dire straits?"


    "Hehe, don''t say that. Let''s get straight to the point. Don''t you want to be... a god?"

 Chapter 76: Color Palette

    <h4>Chapter 76: Color Palette</h4>


    "Don''t say anything more. I can''tmunicate with you happily," Gu Yi stood up and looked down at the fortune teller, "I would neverpromise with you people."


    Gu Yi turned around and left the room.


    The fortune teller''s facial colors kept changing until they settled into a mncholic blue. He picked up the tarot cards, skillfully shuffled, separated them, and drew one card from the deck.


    <i>--- The card depicted a figure dressed in ck armor, riding a ck horse, with countless bodies lying under its iron hooves.</i>


    At the bottom of the card was a line of English text.


    <i>"DEATH."</i>


    After leaving the secret room, Gu Yi noticed that the countdown timer had finally returned to normal. He looked back, and the fortune teller had already disappeared without a trace.


    Based on the previous two questions, Gu Yi had basically determined the direction of his strategy.


    <strong>The first question.</strong>


    Gu Yi was certain that his sister had made some kind of agreement with the Dark Moon Circus, transforming herself into the "Unspeakable." Otherwise, her name wouldn''t have appeared on the circus ticket.


    Instead of foolishly asking if his sister was "Unspeakable," Gu Yi inquired if she had transformed into the "unspeakable" using the Dark Moon prize ticket, thus solving two mysteries with one question.


    Furthermore, the fortune teller had mentioned the "dream world," suggesting that his sister''s weird powers might be rted to the dreams...


    <strong>The second question.</strong>


    Simr to the first question, Gu Yibined two inquiries into one.


    First, he asked about the time aspect - whether he could leave the town ahead of time.


    Second, he inquired about the spatial aspect - whether there were clues to leaving the town on the third floor of the old house.


    <strong>The third question.</strong>


    This was Gu Yi''s spection about the "Weird World," and it almost confirmed his theory that all the instances in the "Weird World" had their prototypes, possibly even being the original versions of parallel worlds.


    <i>--- The Dark Moon Circus was one of them.</i>


    Gu Yi had a bold idea. He decided to use this dungeon to conduct an experiment, but for that, he needed to progress quickly and raise the exploration rate of the instance to over 70% to gain a chance tomunicate with reality.


    Moreover, the fortune teller''s final conversation was thought-provoking.


    The "Weird World" also needed to recruit people, and they clearly recruited adventurers who performed well in the "Weird World."


    Several outstanding adventurers had died in the "Weird World," and even the reasons for their deaths were extremely casual, with most sumbing to mental erosion or immense pressure and choosing suicide.


    Now, Gu Yi was a hundred percent sure.


    These people didn''t really die in the "Weird World" but were rather used and converted into a part of the "Weird World."


    "Heh, it''s getting more and more troublesome..."


    [3 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes]


    He had already spent a considerable amount of time in the Dark Moon Circus, with no time for leisurely strolls.


    Following the instructions in the crystal ball, Gu Yi finally found the eerie por tree behind the school in the small forest. Instead of immediately opening the cer, he closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You take a sip of almond water.)


    (You dig out the cer door beneath the por tree.)


    (You open the cer and crawl inside.)


    (The structure of the cer here is simr to the one at the entrance of the town. In the depths of the cer, you find a desk, and in one of the drawers, you discover a whip.)


    (The meat in the cer starts to move.)


    (You hit with the whip hard.)


    (Themb meat trembles incessantly and falls to the ground, gradually transforming into a pile of dead flesh.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (The blindfold and whip are both meant formbs.)


    (Blindfolding their eyes prevents them from finding their way home.)


    (If the littlembs misbehave, the whip is used as punishment.)


    (Both props, including the metaphor of the meat, reveal the truth about the town''s wickedness.)


    (You are sure there is no danger in the cer.)


    (You stop the deduction.)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and took a sip of almond water, stepping into the cer, following his deduction.


    It was a gloomy cer.


    The air was filled with the scent of blood.


    Dim light barely illuminated the space.


    Gu Yi looked at the shelves full ofmb meat, his heart feeling like it was being twisted by a knife.


    Each piece ofmb meat on the shelves represented a kidnapped woman or child, a shattered ordinary family, or a lost and lonely soul in the deep mountains.


    Gu Yi took out the whip from the desk, and the system prompt sounded in his ears.


    <i>"You have found the special plot item [Bloody Whip]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 34%!"</i>


    The whip emitted a faint red light, and the smell of blood filled the air.


    The meat in the cer began to move strangely. Gu Yi hit the whip with force, causing all the meat to fall from the shelves, losing its vitality.


    <i>How ridiculous it was -</i>


    He wanted to help the trapped souls find liberation, yet he had to use the weapon of the perpetrator to deal with them.


    "I''m sorry, wait for me."


    Gu Yi put away the whip and hurriedly went to the cer of the town''s convenience store.


    This time, as soon as Gu Yi entered the cer, the meat leaped towards his face.


    Gu Yi drew the whip and struck it randomly, causing the meat on his body to fall to the ground immediately.


    "Fuck-"


    Gu Yi regained his freedom, took a deep breath to calm himself, and then found the other half of the eyepatch on the table.


    <i>"You have found the special plot item [One-eye patch]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 44%!"</i>


    Gu Yi took out another one-eye patch from his pocket, and the two eyepatches attracted each other, merging together.


    "This should work now."


    Gu Yi put on theplete eyepatch.


    Everything in his vision turned blue, and he looked around, noticing a golden shimmer in the direction of the old house.


    "Is this thing an item that can indicate the way?"


    Gu Yi hadn''t fully grasped the specific function of the eyepatch yet, but he had nned to gather all the items first before heading to the old house to search for clues to leave.


    Putting away the eyepatch, Gu Yi opened the desk drawer and found the contract inside.


    <i>"You have found the special plot item [Dark Moon Circus Contract]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 45%!"</i>


    The contract contributed 1% to the exploration progress, indicating that it was also a clue-rted item.


    However, Gu Yi was now certain that the person named in the contract wasn''t his father, Gu Jianjun, but his sister, Gu Yao.


    Taking the contract and eyepatch with him, Gu Yi left the cer and headed straight to the old house.


    Standing at the doorstep of the old house, Gu Yi put on the eyepatch.


    As expected, the golden shimmer remained on the third floor.


    Gu Yi rushed into the house and reached the secret room on the third floor. He put on the eyepatch and searched around, finding that the golden light wasing from the floor under the long table.


    Taking off the eyepatch, Gu Yi climbed under the table and knocked on the floor, realizing that it was hollow. He went downstairs and found a hammer, then struck the floor with force.


    <i>Crack!</i>


    The floor split open, and amid the dust, Gu Yi discovered a color palette.


    <i>"You have obtained the special plot item [Color Palette]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 55%!"</i>

 Chapter 77: Escaping the Inner World

    <h4>Chapter 77: Escaping the Inner World</h4>


    "Why a color palette? What''s the purpose of this thing?"


    Gu Yi held the color palette and examined it closely. The more he looked at it, the more it resembled the one the fortune teller had on his face.


    "Hmm..."


    Gu Yi touched his nose.


    In the previous dungeon, the Host yed the role of Fake Toto, and when he left in a rage, the color palette on his face turned red.


    In this dungeon, the Host yed the role of the fortune teller, and when he returned from the circus to the old house, the color palette on his face also turned red, but it turned blue during divination.


    <i>Could it be that different colors on the color palette would unleash different weird powers?</i>


    <i>Red for spatial teleportation?</i>


    <i>Blue for future foresight?</i>


    "Let''s try if it works."


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You hold the color palette and enter your sister''s room.)


    (You find some paint on your sister''s desk.)


    (You first apply the blue paint on the color palette.)


    (The paint is absorbed by the color palette until it bes pristine white.)


    (The blue paint has no effect on the color palette.)


    (You pick up the red paint and squeeze it onto the color palette.)


    (The color palette starts to heat up and tremble violently.)


    (You quickly drop the color palette.)


    (A portal of void appears in front of you.)


    (You step into the portal.)


    (There''s nothingness in front of you.)


    (You stop the deduction!)


    "It should work now. The inability to deduce was probably due to leaving the inner world and entering a higher level."


    Gu Yi held the color palette and, along with all the other plot items he found, put them into his backpack. He entered his sister''s room, located the paint, and took out the red paint.


    As soon as he unscrewed the lid, he heard a rustling sound around him.


    Gu Yi''s heart froze, and a cold sweat dripped from his forehead.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (There is nothingness in front of your eyes.)


    (There is nothingness in front of your eyes.)


    (There is nothingness in front of your eyes.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi quickly picked up the color palette and turned around to look.


    His sister''s room began to blur and distort, and pixel blocks were copsing. Gu Yi took a sip of almond water and indeed saw his sister floating in mid-air behind him.


    She was the Unspeakable being from the surface world, which meant Gu Yi couldn''t use his talent for deduction.


    If he mishandled the situation, it might trigger an instant death.


    <i>Sizzling...</i>


    His sister''s hair floated, emitting blue sparks between the strands. She slowly opened her eyes.


    "Who are you?"


    His sister didn''t speak, but Gu Yi could hear her voice clearly.


    Gu Yi''s heart jumped to his throat, and he clenched his fist, his palms sweating.


    "Don''t you recognize me? I''m your brother..."


    "No, you''re not him. Who are you?"


    Gu Yi''s feet dangled in air, and he lost control of his body, even breathing bing difficult.


    "Never mind who I am, what''s important is that I can alleviate your pain." Gu Yi squeezed out his words from his throat, "Don''t do this... I''m about to suffocate."


    "You? You know nothing. It''s you who killed my brother, it''s you who killed him."


    "Your brother isn''t dead; you''ve imprisoned him in the dream. It''s time to wake up, Gu Yao."


    "You''re lying to me! I want to be with my parents and brother forever, If I kill you, I can bring my brother back."


    Gu Yi''s eyes turned red, and stars shed before his eyes.


    "They... are not your parents... you fool!"


    Upon hearing this, his sister froze for a moment.


    The pressure on Gu Yi lessened, and he continued to push.


    "If you want your brother to live, let me go. They are currently doing all sorts of cruel things to him. You don''t want your brother to be treated the same way as you, do you? You want him to live freely with your parents, don''t you?"


    "What are you talking about? You know nothing!"


    His sister didn''t believe Gu Yi''s nonsense at all. Gu Yi felt intense pain throughout his body, and his fingertips gradually turned into pixel blocks.


    "Dark Moon told me; he sent me to fulfill your final wish."


    "Uncle Dark Moon? He''s a good person... he even taught me how to blow a puppy balloon... Brother... save me... save me..."


    His sisterughed and cried at the same time, her body gradually twisting and dissipating into a pile of pixel blocks in the air.


    <i>Cough, cough.</i>


    Gu Yi knelt on the ground, panting heavily. The surroundings were gradually turning into blurry pixel blocks.


    The world created by the sister was on the verge of copse, and her mental state seemed abnormal.


    Gu Yi had just been speaking nonsense until he mentioned the leader of the circus, Dark Moon, and then his sister finally let him go.


    He could now confirm four conclusions:


    1. The real "I" in the Surface world was either in aa or asleep, causing the time flow to be asynchronous with the surface world, allowing his sister''s dream power to take effect.


    2. Before bing Unspeakable, his sister had experienced abuse from their parents, which was evident from her diary.


    3. The second half of both his and his sister''s diary entries must have been describing their tragic past in the family and the gradual strangeness of their parents.


    4. There might be no blood rtion between him, his sister, and their parents. Both siblings might have been kidnapped and brought to their parents, and this could be verified once he returns to the Surface world and investigates.


    Based on his sister''s behavior just now, Gu Yi''s conclusions were mostly correct.


    After the car ident, his sister thought that "I" had died, and "I" thought she had died, but in reality, neither of them had died.


    Driven by her longing for her brother and fear of parental abuse, his sister became an unspeakable being after getting involved with the Dark Moon Circus. His brother was affected by the unspeakable''s power and remained trapped in this illusory ind town.


    Thinking of this, the real name of the ind town should be "Illusion Ind."


    <i>Crack, crack...</i>


    The old house was gradually copsing.


    Gu Yi quickly took out the color palette and sprinkled red paint on it.


    The color palette trembled violently, so Gu Yi immediately threw it away.


    The color palette split open and turned into a void portal. Gu Yi held his head and rushed into it.


    "Hah..."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath as if a drowning person finally breathed air again. He opened his eyes and found himself lying in a hospital bed.


    Struggling, Gu Yi climbed up from the bed, feeling weak all over.


    "Awake? My son, you''re awake!"


    His mother''s voice came.


    Gu Yi turned his head and saw his mother crying with joy, holding his hand.


    "Just wait, I''ll call the doctor."


    His mother rushed out in a hurry, forgetting even to take her phone, which she left on the bed.


    Gu Yi picked up the phone and checked the date.


    [June 11, 2021]


    As he had suspected, he had spent a year in the inner world, but in the surface world, only a month had passed. Gu Yi''s head buzzed, and after a while, he realized that the buzzing sound was the system''s prompt.


    <i>"You have escaped from the [Unspeakable''s Illusion]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration progress is 70%!"</i>


    <i>"Your spirit has be more resilient, and your mental power limit has increased to 90/90."</i>


    <i>"You have gained one opportunity tomunicate with reality. Please choose themunication object after finding a public telephone booth."</i>

 Chapter 78: Communication with Reality (1)

    <h4>Chapter 78: Communication with Reality (1)</h4>


    "Dr. Sun, look, my son is awake!"


    His mother ran over with the doctor.


    Squinting, Gu Yi nced at the doctor''s name badge. He seemed to be the chief physician of the neurology department.


    Dr. Sun came to Gu Yi, examined him left and right, and asked, "Do you feel any difort?"


    "My head hurts, and I have tinnitus."


    "You may need to be observed for a while," Dr. Sun said, looking surprised at Gu Yi. "Your willpower is really strong."


    Gu Yi frowned, pretending to look bewildered, and asked, "Can you tell me what happened to me?"


    "A month ago, you were in a car ident and fell into a vegetative state. Your mother has been taking care of you at the bedside for a month, and finally, you woke up."


    "Oh?"


    Gu Yi looked at his mother.


    She had tears in her eyes, choking up as she looked genuinely concerned. But...


    <i>ording to the events in the inner world, his mother shouldn''t be this caring about him, right?</i>


    "And my sister, where is she?"


    "Sister? What sister?"


    "Gu Yao."


    "Son, have you be stupid." his mother asked, puzzled. "You are our only child, where did you get a sister from?"


    <i>His sister was gone?</i>


    <i>This sister had never appeared in the surface world, so were his parents pretending or hiding something?</i>


    <i>Or maybe...</i>


    <i>His sister''s parents and his parents were not the same?</i>


    Gu Yi remained silent, just staring nkly ahead.


    His mother looked worried and turned to the doctor, asking, "Dr. Sun, why is our son starting to talk nonsense?"


    "It''s probably because the brain was severely injured, and his memory might be distorted for a while. It should recover with time."


    His mother held the doctor''s arm and inquired about Gu Yi''s condition in detail.


    Gu Yi kept up his foolish act but secretly observed every subtle expression on his mother''s face.


    With his heightened mental acuity, Gu Yi could even hear his mother''s heartbeat if he focused.


    He noticed that his mother was indeed very nervous and genuinely concerned about his condition.


    However, he had a feeling that her concern wasn''t solely out of love for him.


    Dr. Sun nced at Gu Yi and took his mother to the office to discuss something.


    Gu Yi picked up his mother''s phone and recalled the number list he found on her dressing table. He entered each number, but to his surprise, they were all disconnected.


    "Could it be..."


    A bold idea came to Gu Yi''s mind. He found pen and paper and diligently wrote down all the numbers.


    Thirty minutester.


    After his mother and Dr. Sun finishedmunicating, they returned to Gu Yi''s side. His mother smiled and held his hand, speaking gently, "My dear, the doctor said you don''t have any major problems. You can go home to rest today, but you need toe back for regr check-ups to prevent any rpse."


    "I want to walk around a bit..."


    Gu Yi lifted the covers and got out of bed but suddenly felt weak in the legs.


    His mother quickly rushed to hold him, supporting him.


    "You''ve been lying in bed for a month; how can your legs have strength? Don''t rush, I''ll get you a wheelchair."


    She helped Gu Yi back to the bed and then assisted him into the wheelchair.


    "Can you take me outside for a stroll? I want to get some fresh air."


    "Of course."


    His mother pushed Gu Yi to the front yard.


    As they looked around, Gu Yi''s eyes fell upon a public telephone booth near the hospital supermarket.


    "Mom, can you buy me a bottle of drink from the supermarket? I want almond water."


    "Haha, you''re still the same as before. Wait here for me a moment."


    His mother parked the wheelchair by the roadside and turned to enter the hospital.


    Gu Yi quickly started wheeling himself to the telephone booth, struggling with each move. Finally, he arrived at the booth, picked up the receiver, and the world around him froze.


    <i>"You have gained an opportunity tomunicate with the real world. You have three minutes. Whom would you like to talk to?"</i>


    "Leader of the Dragon Country Strategy Team."


    In the real world...


    Dragon Country was in chaos.


    After Gu Yipleted the first dungeon, the live broadcast signal was permanently lost.


    There were no new adventurers appearing from the Dragon Country, and Gu Yi didn''t return to the real world either, which was highly abnormal.


    "Did the rules of the weird world change?"


    "I have no idea,pletely clueless."


    The loss of Gu Yi''s live broadcast signal worried all the viewers.


    Amidst the anxiety, live signals from other countries suddenly appeared.


    "Leader, the lighthouse country, kimchi country, and cherry blossom country''s live broadcasts have started, but we still haven''t received Gu Yi''s signal."


    "Could it be due to our technology?"


    "I don''t know. We''ve tried everything, but once connected, we only see a ck screen."


    The leader approached the screen filled with question marks, and everyone was baffled by the current situation.


    "What do we do now, Leader?"


    "This is the first time we''ve encountered such a situation. It might be rted to the sudden increase in difficulty in the weird world''s dungeons. How are the situations in other countries?"


    "The lighthouse country has found the first plot item. The adventurer seems to have awakened a talent skill that enhances his inspiration ability. The adventurer from the cherry blossom country triggered an instant death event. The adventurers from other countries are all stuck, and their plot exploration progress hasn''t exceeded 15%."


    "Darn it..."


    The leader pinched the bridge of his nose.


    <i>Zizizi¡ª¡ª</i>


    Everyone turned their heads.


    The live broadcast footage of Gu Yi started shaking, and a pale, emaciated face appeared in the center of the frame.


    "I am Gu Yi. Is there anything unusual on your end?"


    "Gu Yi, are you okay? Your live broadcast signal has been off the entire time, and we have no idea what you''ve been doing. What happened to you? Are you sick?"


    <i>The live broadcast signal has been off the entire time?</i>


    <i>Could this be the director''s special care for him?</i>


    Gu Yi quickly thought and said in a rapid tone, "One question at a time. I yed a character who became vegetative, and I just woke up from a dream world. How are the adventurers from other countries?"


    "What? Are you saying... that this dungeon is a dream? The adventurers from other countries are still in the weird town, and the one with the highest progress is only at 13%."


    Gu Yi faintly sensed that something was off. "Can you tell me more about the dungeon of other countries, be more specific?"


    "They were born in a weird town that appears to be a medieval Western town. There are terrifying legends about a music box circting in the town."


    <i>Wait a minute!</i>


    <i>His experience in the dungeon is different from others?</i>


    Could the director''s special care be referring to this?


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, constantly recalling every detail of his interaction with the host, even the ever-changing color of the host''s palette became his reference.


    "Gu Yi? What''s wrong with you?"


    "Director, what are you thinking? What do you want to tell me? Are you intentionally showing me these loopholes? Or are you intentionally ying with me?"


    "Gu Yi, you¡ª"


    "Leader, listen!"


    Gu Yi interrupted the leader''s words, his eyes sharp as a knife.


    "Next, I need you to help me with something. This thing may directly affect my progress in clearing the stage. If sessful, we might even unearth the truth behind the weird world.


    The director is too arrogant; he is intentionally testing and probing me.


    Broadcast what I just said.


    Tell everyone.


    Even gods bleed, and I will be the dagger stabbing into the heart of the divine."

 Chapter 79: Communication with Reality (2)

    <h4>Chapter 79: Communication with Reality (2)</h4>


    The team leader nodded, "Rest assured, no matter what request you make, we will do everything in our power to fulfill it."


    "Very well, immediately mobilize all resources to investigate.


    In our country, there''s probably a small town involved in illegal human trafficking. I suspect it is located in the southern mountainous region of our country, and the town''s name might be something like ''Huan Dao town'' or a homonym.


    This town is collectively engaged in wrongdoing, with neighbors covering up for each other, so I suggest conducting the investigation in different locations. It''s likely that the town was invaded by the Weird Powers before, so I rmend starting the investigation from the towns where the weird powers have invaded before.


    Better to kill the wrong person than to let them go.


    Once you find suspects involved in human trafficking, arrest them immediately. This matter must be resolved as quickly as possible; there is no time to waste, as I don''t know how long I can stay in this world.


    We are racing against time, and every moment counts."


    After speaking, Gu Yi took out a piece of paper from his pocket, on which were written several numbers from the number list in his mother''s jewelry box.


    "Can you see the numbers on this paper?"


    "Yes, I can see them. Why?"


    "Investigate these numbers immediately; they may be rted to the human traffickers."


    The team leader didn''t ask why but diligently noted down every word Gu Yi said, "We have noted everything. Do you have anything else?"


    After a moment of contemtion, Gu Yi spoke rapidly, "The host may be from our country, and perhaps we... time''s up."


    <i>Beep-beep-</i>


    A busy tone came from the phone.


    Time started flowing again.


    Gu Yi hung up the phone and wheeled himself out of the phone booth.


    The director took notice of him and arranged such a special dungeon for him. He even prevented his progress from being live-streamed.


    <i>--It''s like an entrance exam for the Weird world!</i>


    If he sessfully clears this dungeon, he might be a potential talent in the eyes of the director, and the host in this dungeon serves as the interviewer.


    Perhaps the director never expected him to achieve a 70% exploration level, which is why he didn''t prohibit him frommunicating with the real world, nor did he expect him tomand the Dragon Country Strategy Team to search for the real-world prototype.


    Of course, there''s another possibility.


    <i>--The director is so arrogant that he doesn''t care about what he does. Just like how humans don''t care about what ants do; in his eyes, he''s just a slightly stronger ant.</i>


    Gu Yi had already spected that all the dungeon worlds have their real prototypes, and they might actually exist in reality.


    This dungeon world was created entirely based on Dragon Country. Gu Yi had instructed the Strategy Team to find the real "Huan Dao town" to verify whether there is a mapping rtionship between the real world and the weird world, and if changes in the real world would affect the weird world.


    If such a rtionship exists, it would mean that the survival probability of adventurers worldwide would increase, and humanity would have one more way tobat the weird world.


    "Son, what are you daydreaming about?"


    His mother came over with a bottle of almond water.


    Gu Yi reached out and took it, unscrewing the cap to take a sip.


    The taste of this almond water was differentpared to the taste of the one from the Huan Dao convenience store. Gu Yi looked at the bottle and realized that his mother had bought the wrong brand.


    "It doesn''t taste right."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "The brand is wrong."


    "But you''ve been drinking this brand since you were little." His mother looked at Gu Yi with concern. "Are you okay? You seem like a different person."


    "Oh, I must be a bit absent-minded."


    Gu Yi grinned, trying to brush it off.


    His mother didn''t probe further. After all, he had a head injury, and who knows what might happen?


    "Your father wille to pick you up soon. We will go home then."


    "Okay."


    In the afternoon, his father finally arrived at the hospital.


    In this Surface world, his father was not one to smile easily, even more, distant than the father in the inner world.


    Gu Yi nced at the residential area they lived in, which was called "Huan Dao".


    "Mom, how is grandma doing?"


    "Grandma is doing well."


    "I got into an ident; I wonder if it will affect Grandma. After all, she''s getting older."


    "Sigh, you''re such a filial child."


    His mother sighed and took out her phone to video call Grandma.


    Gu Yi turned his head away.


    The elderly woman in the video had gray hair, wore reading sses, and had a plump figure¡ªnothing like Han Chunzhu at all.


    "Hello, grandma."


    "Hello, my grandson."


    Gu Yi pretended tomunicate with his grandmother for a while, then used a headache as an excuse to hang up the call.


    As expected.


    He and his sister had been abducted.


    Han Chunzhu was his real grandmother.


    Now, Gu Yi''s top priority is to find Han Chunzhu and his missing sister.


    "Son, don''t force yourself..."


    "It''s okay, I can manage on my own."


    Supporting himself against the wall, Gu Yi slowly walked and gradually adapted to the movement.


    Since entering the surface world, Gu Yi hadn''t encountered any weird events. He temporarily let down his guard and rested at home for a night.


    The next day.


    The house was empty, and Gu Yi found only a note left by his parents on the refrigerator.


    <i>[We''ve gone out for business, we''ll be back before noon.]</i>


    "Hmph, doing business, huh?"


    Gu Yi sneered and searched the house.


    He first went to his parents'' room and indeed found his mother''s cancer medication.


    At the same time, he discovered the hospital discharge receipt from when his mother received treatment, and it was the same hospital he woke up in.


    In the dressing table, there was his mother''s medical insurance card, and Gu Yi immediately noted down the social insurance code.


    Returning to his room, Gu Yi found his backpack inside the closet. Inside the backpack, he found an eye patch and a whip.


    "Where''s my phone? Did it break during the transition?"


    Continuing to search the backpack, Gu Yi felt a hard object, like a phone. He took out a small knife and cut open the backpack, confirming that the phone was inside, along with a pile of ashes.


    The ashes were likely the diary. It must have been burned during the journey through the void. The contents of the diary were all symbolic references from the inner world to the surface world. When he arrived in the surface world, the diary turned to ashes.


    After Gu Yi took out all the items, the backpack began to decay and turned into a pile of garbage in less than a minute.


    Without the protection of weird power, the backpack turned into ashes.


    Gu Yi turned on the phone, and the countdown was still ticking.


    [2 days, 20 hours, 31 minutes]


    "What the heck? Does it mean if I don''t find my sister within three days, I''m going to die?"


    Taking a deep breath, Gu Yi couldn''t believe he had already left the inner world but was still burdened by this annoying countdown. He opened the phone and indeed found his sister''stest diary entry.


    <i>[May 15, 2021, sunny]</i>


    <i>[My injuries have worsened, but Mom still keeps making me jump into the ice bucket to strengthen my willpower.]</i>


    <i>[Last night, the pain was unbearable, and I wanted to ask Mom to take me to the hospital.]</i>


    <i>[When passing through the kitchen, I finally understood how Mom makes the rat oil.]</i>


    <i>[She somehow found a bunch of little mice, all hairless, just newborns. She put the mice in sesame oil and drowned them alive, then she ate them.]</i>


    <i>[The sesame oil in which the drowned mice were soaked is what they call ''rat oil''.]</i>


    <i>[I was so scared that I screamed.]</i>


    <i>[Mom saw me and walked over with the te, asking what was wrong.]</i>


    <i>[I told her I needed to go to the bathroom.]</i>


    <i>[Mom said she had just made a fresh batch of rat oil, and if I applied it externally and ingested it, I would recover faster.]</i>


    <i>[The blood of the mouse was floating in the dish, showing a faint pink color.]</i>


    <i>[Mom pinched my mouth and poured all the sesame oil down my throat.]</i>


    <i>[Mom has gone mad, my brother is dead, will I be the next one?]</i>

 Chapter 80: Provincial People’s Hospital (1)

    <h4>Chapter 80: Provincial People''s Hospital (1)</h4>


    Now it can be confirmed that the phone in his possession belongs to his sister. That''s why it remained intact while traversing the void door, just like the other plot items.


    "It''s time to summarize and deduce my sister''s storyline."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, sitting by the desk, carefully recalling every detail in his sister''s diary.


    Day one, the brother''s death.


    Day two, encountered the wedding procession and the creepy clown.


    Day three, the mother abused the sister.


    Day four, the sister got injured and had a fever, then the mother used rat oil to treat her.


    Day five, the sister was seriously injured and witnessed the mother eating mice while making rat oil.


    After arriving in the surface world, Gu Yi didn''t find any rule notes or encountered any weird events, indicating that at least within his essible range, there was no weird power.


    This world is rtively normal.


    Considering this, his sister couldn''t have seen the clown outside the window in the room on the 20th floor. This suggests that his sister had gone insane from day two onwards, or she had been corrupted by the weird powers and had sessfully be the ''Unspeakable''.


    Starting from day three, the sister suffered abuse from her mother. Gu Yi spected that the mother of his sister is not the same person as his own mother.


    The sister''s mother ate rats.


    In the wedding procession, the bride was a cat.


    Could this imply that the cat-rat couple is the buyer of his sister? His sister might no longer be able to distinguish who her biological parents are.


    Now the key issue is how to find his sister. The only clue Gu Yi has is the hospital where Han Chunzhu is.


    "What was the name of the hospital..."


    Gu Yi tapped his head.


    In the inner world, Gu Yi didn''t actually see the name of the hospital; he only remembered theyout of the hospital.


    Han Chunzhu had heart problems, and there were only a few well-known heart-specialized hospitals in the city, with no more than three of them achieving a Level 3 Grade.


    Gu Yi immediately went to his father''s study, opened theputer, and searched. Eventually, he identified the target hospital - Provincial People''s Hospital.


    Gu Yi took out a new backpack and stored all the plot items inside it, also bringing along a fruit knife just in case. He left his home and hailed a taxi.


    "Where to, young man?"


    "Provincial People''s Hospital."


    Gu Yi sat in the backseat of the car.


    In less than twenty minutes, Gu Yi arrived at his destination.


    He entered the hospital''s inpatient building and looked at the surroundings. Finally, he felt at ease; this was the ce he was looking for.


    Suddenly, Gu Yi felt the backpack getting warm¡ªthis was a signal from the ck eye patch.


    As a precaution, Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You take out the eye patch from the backpack and put it on.)


    (You see red light shing upstairs.)


    (You take off the eye patch and go upstairs.)


    (You find the cat bride and rat groom appearing in the corridor, both turning their heads to look at you.)


    (Your pupils dte, and your heart stops.)


    (You are scared to death.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    <i>This ghostly scenario again!</i>


    Gu Yi clenched his fists and quickly exited the inpatient building, finding a safe spot to hide.


    The eye patch worked as a warning and indicator.


    When there are plot items in the vicinity, he can see a golden light.


    When there are dangerous characters nearby, he can see a red light.


    Seeing the cat and rat here basically means he''s in the right ce, but he can''t just wait here until they leave before exploring, right?


    Who knows how long they will stay here?


    Who knows if they will do something inappropriate to Han Chunzhu?


    Thinking of this, Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You decide to take the initiative and find a way to divert the cat-rat couple.)


    (Triggering a death event requires direct eye contact with Miss Cat. As long as you cover your eyes, you''ll be safe.)


    (You take out your phone and call the police, saying you''re being followed by a woman who looks like a cat.)


    (You memorize the escape route and measure the distance from the inpatient building to the hospital''s entrance with your footsteps.)


    (You return to the inpatient building, and the eye patch starts to heat up.)


    (You put on the eye patch and feel your way up the stairs.)


    (Your vision is pitch-ck, but you can determine the cat-rat couple''s position through the red light.)


    (You arrive upstairs.)


    (You hear the concerned voices of hospital staff around you, and you notice the red light approaching you.)


    (You stumble and run, covering your eyes with the eye patch, not giving the cat-rat couple any chance.)


    (The speed of the red light is getting faster and faster.)


    (You lead the red light and run out of the inpatient building.)


    (You scream loudly, warning the pedestrians ahead to avoid you.)


    (You hear footsteps behind you getting closer, and the eye patch bes unusually hot.)


    (You finally run out of the hospital gate, panting.)


    (You hear the sound of police cars.)


    (You are tackled to the ground by the cat-rat couple.)


    (You scream for help, covering your eye patch.)


    (The police run over and rescue you.)


    (The cat-rat couple is taken away in a police car, and you are escorted to the hospital due to external injuries.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Feasible."


    Gu Yi nodded and immediately called the police.


    It would take about 10 minutes for the police to arrive at the hospital, which gave him the opportunity to familiarize himself with the escape route.


    He walked to the front of the inpatient building, closed his eyes, and felt the wall as he walked toward the hospital exit.


    As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and it''s like typing proficiently on a keyboard. Even with closed eyes, one can do it with ease.


    With his greatly enhanced mental power which also made his memory strong, more than ten times that of an average person, Gu Yi could easily memorize the escape route by walking it just twice with his eyes closed.


    "No problem."


    Gu Yi nodded and returned to the inpatient building. He put on the eye patch and walked to the second floor.


    "Hey!"


    Gu Yi shouted loudly in the corridor, and the two red light points in his vision were indeed drawn towards him.


    "Meow~"


    Gu Yi heard a cat''s meow and couldn''t help but shiver. He turned around, still covering his eyes with the eye patch, and walked towards the fire escape.


    "Clear the way!"


    Gu Yi ran down the stairs skillfully.


    The pedestrians around saw Gu Yi and quickly moved to the side in fear.


    "Damn, how can this guy run so fast with his eyes covered?"


    Before the words finished, a man and a woman quickly rushed out after him.


    This couple had very peculiar appearances.


    The man was short and looked like a mouse.


    The woman was slender and looked like a cat.


    The two chased after the blindfolded boy and ran like lightning.


    "Help! Get out of the way! Someone''s trying to kill me!"


    "Stop him, that kid stole our wallets!"


    Gu Yi and the cat-rat couple yelled back and forth, and the surrounding pedestrians dared not take any action, only moving to the side.


    Gu Yi was panting heavily, feeling as if his lungs were burning, and even his heart felt like it was about toe out.


    He had already exhausted his physical strength.


    His weakened body couldn''t sustain him to run any further.


    The eye patch felt scorching hot.


    Gu Yi felt a tremendous force from behind, and he was knocked down to the ground.

 Chapter 81: Provincial People’s Hospital (2)

    <h4>Chapter 81: Provincial People''s Hospital (2)</h4>


    Gu Yi fell to the ground and rolled three times.


    The cat-rat couple rode on Gu Yi''s back, reaching out to grab his eye mask.


    Gu Yi was caught off guard, and the eye mask was immediately pulled off.


    "Look into my eyes!"


    The cat bride''s voice sounded in Gu Yi''s ears, but he tightly kept his eyes shut, refusing to open them.


    The image of the cat bride appeared in Gu Yi''s mind, and the weird power was eroding his mental world.


    <i>--Even if Gu Yi closed his eyes, the cat bride could still find a way to kill him.</i>


    "Open your eyes quickly, see how beautiful I am?"


    "Go to hell!"


    Gu Yi''s mental strength was different now; he kept his eyes closed and confronted the cat bride in the mental world. A sense of panic shed across the cat bride''s face. She didn''t expect Gu Yi''s spiritual barrier to be so strong!


    "Stop! Police!"


    The cat-rat couple turned their heads, and three police officers rushed over.


    They looked at each other and quickly released Gu Yi.


    The police separated the cat-rat couple from Gu Yi. One of the officers helped Gu Yi up and noticed the scratches all over his body. Gu Yi''s face was pale, looking weak and sickly.


    "Officer, this kid is a thief," Mr. Rat said, "He stole our wallet."


    "Nonsense, he was trying to kill me!" Gu Yi pointed to his eyes and said, "I''m blind, how could a blind person steal? Look at the injuries they''ve given me; I feel dizzy now; they attacked me."


    "Officer, he''s pretending!"


    "Urgh¡ª"


    Before Mr. Rat could finish, Gu Yi started to vomit, leaning on the police officer''s shoulder.


    Seeing Gu Yi''s weakened state, the surrounding pedestrians felt sympathetic.


    "That child obviously didn''t steal anything."


    "Yeah, I saw it too. As soon as he entered the hospital, that couple chased after and attacked him."


    "Yeah, they ran all the way here."


    "Two able-bodied adults bullying a disabled person, how shameless."


    The cat-rat couple were taken aback, realizing that public opinion was not on their side.


    Gu Yi added more drama, biting his tongue to make it bleed and pretending to vomit blood while lying in the police officer''s arms.


    "Damn, what''s wrong with the child?"


    "Quick, take him to the hospital!"


    The police rushed into the hospital building, carrying Gu Yi.


    The cat-rat couple wanted to follow, but the other two police officers stopped them, "You can''t go.


    "Why? He''s a thief! How can you let him go?"


    "He''s not going anywhere, we''ll watch him. Can''t you see that the child is covered in injuries? He needs medical attention first."


    "How can you do this?"


    "If you have anyints, go to the police station and talk about it, now go!"


    The police escorted the couple away.


    Gu Yi always pretended to be dead, ignoring the inquiries of the police and doctors. He didn''t open his eyes until he was sent to the treatment room.


    <i>"Pffft---!"</i>


    Gu Yi spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to get up from the bed.


    Everything went ording to his n. He had sessfully shaken off the pursuit of the cat and mouse couple. After being caught by the police, they would be at least one dayte to interfere with him again.


    Clearly, the cat-rat couple''s weird powers had their limitations. They could only affect him but had no power over others.


    Gu Yi slipped out of the treatment room and returned to the hospital''s inpatient building.


    Making his way to the corridor where Han Chunzhu was supposed to be.


    The corridor was empty, and there was no sign of Han Chunzhu.


    He stopped a passing nurse and asked, "Where is Han Chunzhu?"


    The nurse looked him up and down, "Who are you to her?"


    "Her grandson."


    "Where are your parents?"


    "Dead."


    "Uh...I''m sorry." The nurse awkwardly scratched her head, "Your grandmother passed away this morning. She''s in the morgue on the lower floor. We couldn''t reach her family, and if we don''t find someone to im the body within three days, the police will take over."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi nodded, turned around, and went downstairs.


    Han Chunzhu died in the storyline.


    Gu Yi spected that no matter if he came early orte, he wouldn''t have been able to meet Han Chunzhu alive. Her only help to him was the half-spokenst words.


    Still, Gu Yi wanted to see Han Chunzhu''s body. Perhaps there were undiscovered clues.


    He arrived at the morgue.


    The air conditioning here was strong, and Gu Yi instinctively wrapped his clothes tighter.


    Han Chunzhuy peacefully on the t bed, one eye half-open, the other closed, her mouth slightly agape, herplexion pale.


    "I''m sorry, even though I''m just pretending to be your grandson, I still feel guilty. I''ve caused you so much suffering, Grandma. May you have a peaceful journey, and may you find your way to heaven."


    Gu Yi folded his hands together and bowed, then he reached out and closed Han Chunzhu''s eyelids and mouth.


    Whether it was due to the dim lighting or a psychological effect, Gu Yi felt as if Han Chunzhu was still smiling. She didn''t look like she was dead, merely sleeping.


    Suddenly, Han Chunzhu''s arm slid off the bed, and a crumpled piece of paper fell from her hand.


    Gu Yi hesitated for a moment, not immediately picking up the paper. Instead, he ced Han Chunzhu''s arm back in ce and covered her with the nket.


    "Grandma, is this your farewell letter?"


    Gu Yi picked up the crumpled paper, and there were a few twisted lines of writing on it.


    [False lies will eventually be shattered.]


    [The price of power is something no one can bear.]


    "Price...?"


    After seeing the word "Price" in the note, Gu Yi couldn''t help but furrow his brow.


    In the Chongshan Hospital''s dungeon, there was a sentence written under Toto''s mask, <i>"Remember, there''s no such thing as a free lunch in this world."</i>


    In the Dark Moon Circus audience guidelines, there was also a mention of "The circus doesn''t offer free lunches."


    And now, in his grandmother''s farewell letter, the word "Price" appeared once again.


    Gu Yi knew better than to consider all of this as mere coincidence. "Weird World" had been consistently hinting at the concept of "Price".


    One''s effort would bring rewards.


    That is the fundamental rule of "The Weird World" and the cornerstone of rules for all the dungeon worlds.


    "Price" could also be interpreted as retribution, as in the previous dungeon, the fundamental rule was "good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds have consequences." But in this dungeon world, the concept of "price" might be different.


    I''s parents were human traffickers, yet they lived afortable life, even in a high-end residential area. If this is considered retribution, then it seems too false. Therefore, to understand the "price" in this dungeon world, I need to think from a different perspective.


    Perhaps in this world, "price" refers to the cost of a transaction.


    The Dark Moon Circus''s mini-game was exceptionally challenging, and given my sister''s age, it was impossible for her toplete it. Now that she has be unspeakable, she must have paid a tremendous price.


    "Grandma, your hint must be about this, right?" Gu Yi muttered to himself.


    But...


    There was still one thing that puzzled him. Why did the cat-rat couplee to the hospital? Could they have been after his grandmother?

 Chapter 82: Provincial People’s Hospital (3)

    <h4>Chapter 82: Provincial People''s Hospital (3)</h4>


    Gu Yi felt that there might be more clues on his grandmother''s body, so he put on the ck eye mask.


    A faint golden light emanated from his grandmother''s chest, and Gu Yi unbuttoned her cor, finding a small pouch.


    As soon as Gu Yi picked up the pouch, he received a system prompt.


    <i>"You have found the special plot item [Grandma''s Lucky Pouch]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration progress has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current plot exploration progress is 71%!"</i>


    Gu Yi scratched his head, not knowing the immediate purpose of the pouch, but he decided to hang it around his neck.


    "Alright, the clues end here. The cat-rat couple must havee to find my grandmother. She is likely my and my sister''s true rtive. What role do the cat-rat couple y in this dungeon?"


    ording to Gu Yi''s guess, Miss Cat was his sister''s adoptive mother, and after buying his sister, she subjected her to various abuses to satisfy her perverse desires or to use her sister''s weird powers for evil ns.


    "I''s parents were human traffickers, so could it be that they voluntarily sold his sister to the cat-rat couple?"


    The car ident in the diary might have symbolized the fact that his sister was abducted?


    "No, the car ident was probably just an ordinary ident, as I ended up bing a vegetative person, right? Then where is my sister exactly?"


    Gu Yi scratched his head, almost pulling out some strands of hair.


    <i>Beep beep beep¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi''s phone rang.


    The sharp ringtone echoed in the morgue, creating an eerie atmosphere.


    Gu Yi took out his phone, and it disyed "Gu Jianjun" on the screen.


    "Dad?"


    "Where are you? I didn''t see you at home."


    "I''m at the Provinci...City People''s Hospital."


    His father was clearly puzzled for a moment, "Why did you go there?"


    "Well, I''m not feeling well."


    "Why didn''t you call me? I''lle to pick you up right away."


    "Okay."


    Gu Yi hung up the phone, unplugging the sim card from his phone. He deliberately mentioned the wrong hospital''s name for two reasons:


    <strong>1. To test his parents.</strong>


    If his parents were the same as in the inner World, and they were really in cahoots with the cat-rat couple, then his father would immediately know that he was lying and head to the Provincial People''s Hospital.


    <strong>2. To startle the snake.</strong>


    By lying, Gu Yi was also telling his parents that he knew their true colors. The cat-rat couple, upon learning this information, would likely take other methods to capture him, and then he could gain more clues.


    It was an extremely risky n, but without it, Gu Yi had no way to break the current situation. He only had three days left, and he needed to take bold actions.


    Gu Yi quickly left the hospital, went to a nearby sports equipment store to change his clothes, and put on a peaked cap to disguise himself. He hid in a Kaifeng vegetable restaurant across the street, staring fixedly at the hospital entrance.


    About ten minutester, his father''s car stopped at the intersection in front of the hospital.


    Gu Yi sneered, as it turned out that his parents were indeed on the opposite side.


    "Deduction."


    (The deduction begins!)


    (Youe out of the fast-food restaurant and walk into the hospital.)


    (You hide in a corner to observe.)


    (Father''s car enters the parking lot.)


    (Ten minutester, your parents and the cat-rat couplee out of the garage and head straight to the hospital building. Your mother keeps dialing her phone, probably trying to contact you.)


    (You follow from a distance.)


    (The four of them enter the outpatient building and stay inside for half an hour before running out again. You notice that Miss Cat is nowhere to be seen.)


    (You put on the ck eye mask.)


    (The red dot representing Miss Cat is wandering inside the outpatient building. On the northeast corner of the third floor, she obtains a golden item.)


    (After getting the golden item, Miss Cat immediately goes downstairs and meets up with the other three.)


    (You arrive at the entrance of the hospital.)


    (Ten minutester, your father drives away, and you stop a taxi and have the driver follow him.)


    (Your father''s car arrives at the south of the city.)


    (You notice two ck cars appearing on both sides of the taxi, driving parallel to you. They deliberately block the taxi''s front, preventing the driver from following the car behind.)


    (The driverins and is forced to stop by the two cars.)


    (Apparently, your tracking has been discovered.)


    (You open the car door and try to escape.)


    (The people from the carse out, pulling out machetes from their sides and holding them against your neck.)


    (You are taken away by the drivers.)


    (You are knocked unconscious.)


    (You don''t know how long has passed, but you find yourself lying in a pitch-ck coffin. You touch your chest and realize that the pouch is gone.)


    (Miss Cat''s face pierces through the coffin cover and appears in front of you.)


    (Cat: Meow~ Little stalker, are you here to find me?)


    (You try to resist Miss Cat''s peculiar power with your mental strength.)


    (You finally fail.)


    (Your pupils dte, and your heart stops.)


    (You were scared to death.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    His father''s car was still waiting at the intersection, waiting for the red light.


    Gu Yi spected that his parents had gone out early in the morning today to find the cat-rat couple in order to sell him to them.


    Moreover, the power of the cat-rat couple was clearly much stronger than he had imagined.


    After discovering that they were being followed by a rental car, they quickly called for reinforcements to deal with him.


    The pouch that his grandmother had given him must have had the ability to resist Miss Cat''s mental intrusion, which is why they took it away from him at the critical moment.


    Gu Yi shook his head.


    Even though the plot exploration was only 29% left, there were still so many unsolved mysteries in thisst 29%.


    <i>What item did Miss Cat obtain at the hospital?</i>


    <i>Where did they go after finding the item?</i>


    Gu Yi decided to explore again.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You arrive at the entrance of the hospital, and your father happens to drive into the garage.)


    (You quickly rush into the northeast corner of the third floor of the outpatient building.)


    (You find yourself in front of a self-service reporting machine with shing red lights.)


    (You nce around and casually sit on a nearby bench.)


    (You put on the eye patch and observe.)


    (After a while, the red dot representing Miss Cat gets into the elevator. You quickly get up and hide in a dim corner.)


    (You take off the eye patch.)


    (Miss Cat doesn''t notice you and goes straight to the self-service reporting machine to queue.)


    (You stand behind Miss Cat in line.)


    (Miss Cat enters a medical record number and prints the report. Then she leaves. It''s apparent that the report is a clue to advance the plot exploration.)


    (You walk up to the reporting machine and enter the same medical record number and password.)


    (It''s Gu Yao''s medical record. It says that there''s a malignant tumor the size of an egg in her head, and she has been in aa for nearly a month with a life-threatening condition.)


    (The day Gu Yao fell into aa and was taken to the hospital was precisely May 11, 2021, the same day the diary began.)


    (You recall your grandmother''sst words, "Poweres with an unbearable price.")


    (Perhaps the price for Gu Yao bing unspeakable was getting cancer.)


    (You stop the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and pondered for a moment. Now, he needed to figure out how to track down those viins.

 Chapter 83: Pursuit

    <h4>Chapter 83: Pursuit</h4>


    Gu Yi sat across the street, silently waiting for the car to park in the underground parking lot. He entered the hospital''s main gate and made sure everyone went inside before heading to the underground parking lot.


    Soon, he found his father''s car. He took out his phone and securely taped it under the car. Then, he quickly left the hospital.


    On the third floor, he could investigate his sister''s medical records and medication details, as well as obtain a clue-like prop for the plot.


    However, since he already knew the clue from his deductions, there was no need to risk going there again.


    Gu Yi returned to the Kaifeng restaurant across the hospital and waited until he confirmed that his father''s car had left before going back home.


    Once he returned home, he immediately took out his tablet and activated the phone tracking feature.


    The map marked his phone''s location.


    The phone was located near the Southern dock, surrounded by warehouses. The phone''s tracking ability wasn''t very precise, but roughly knowing the general area was enough for Gu Yi.


    He took all the family''s savings, packed his bag with a phone charger, lighter, mosquito repellent, a bottle of spirits, a folding knife, a shlight, emergency food, and essential medications.


    Leaving home, he checked into a hotel across the neighborhood. He wasn''t sure if his parents posed a threat to him, but staying away from them seemed like the right choice.


    It was only in the evening when his parents'' car returned to the neighborhood.


    Using binocrs, Gu Yi watched as his parents got out of the car and seemed to argue for a while before going upstairs.


    Not long after, the police arrived at their doorstep.


    "They must have noticed all the money was stolen and reported it... Or maybe it''s because I went missing," Gu Yi pondered.


    Throughout his journey, Gu Yi wore a peaked cap and deliberately walked through backstreets and alleys. Sometimes, he would wear his clothes backward to confuse the police.


    It shouldn''t be easy for the police to trace him.


    Sitting by the window, Gu Yi waited until the police left before leaving the hotel to retrieve his phone.


    "Something... feels off."


    He furrowed his brows, contemting for a while before deciding to check out and go to another ce to stay.


    Since he returned to the surface world, the dangers seemed to diminish. As long as he didn''t confront the Cat and Mouse couple directly, he could move almost freely.


    This didn''t match the director''s "special care" for him.


    The more peaceful the surface world became, the more uneasy he felt.


    The red countdown on his phone kept ticking backward as he walked to the Provincial People''s Hospital.


    It was already evening, and only the emergency department was still open.


    Gu Yi randomly found a self-service report machine and entered his mother''s social security code, intending to ess her medical records. However, he discovered that his mother had set a password. He tried his own birthday, his mother''s birthday, and his father''s birthday, but all attempts failed.


    "Damn... Do I have to use the same method asst time to ess it?"


    Gu Yi looked around. This was a hospital in a big city, not a small-town clinic. Security guards were stationed, and fire safety measures were in ce. There was no chance for him to resort to violence.


    After some thought, he decided to give up on investigating the medical records.


    His mother''s records were not the key clue; they could only assist him in thinking and understanding the plot from another perspective. The real deal was to explore the Southern Dock.


    Gu Yi took a taxi to the vicinity of the dock and settled into a random budget hotel.


    "Let''s begin."


    Lying on the bed, he closed his eyes.


    (You leave the hotel and head straight to the dock.)


    (It''s pitch ck here, and you turn on your phone''s shlight.)


    (The dock is filled with various containers, and you notice that the closer you get to the center of the dock, the more rusted the containers be.)


    (You hear some strange sounds up ahead, like something gnawing on mulberry leaves.)


    (You turn off the shlight and cautiously look ahead from the shadows.)


    (Ahead, there is a container covered in rust, with bits of rust peeling off and then recovering to its original shape. The eerie sound wasing from there.)


    (You observe for a while and confirm that there is no one around.)


    (You take out the eye patch and put it on.)


    (Beneath the container, there''s arge area of red shing, indicating danger.)


    (You put away the eye patch and check your grandma''s lucky pouch.)


    (You open the container, and it''s pitch ck inside.)


    (You turn on your shlight.)


    (There''s a straight staircase leading downward, and you begin to descend.)


    (After about forty minutes, you finally reach the bottom, and the underground base''s vastness exceeds your imagination.)


    (There''s a huge st-proof door in front of you, but you don''t have an ess card to open it.)


    (You hear footsteps behind the door.)


    (You hide around the corner of the stairs.)


    (The st-proof door opens.)


    (A woman in uniformes out from the inside. She is smaller than you and doesn''t seem to be a formidable opponent.)


    (Hiding in the shadows, taking advantage of the woman''s unpreparedness, you take out the knife and stab the woman in the back.)


    (The woman''s face contorts into a ferocious expression, her head turns 180 degrees, and she bites your neck, starting to suck blood.)


    (Your vision goespletely dark.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    "So, there are Weird creatures beneath the container? Looks like I''m in the right ce."


    That woman''s strength was on par with that of an adult man, and being weak himself, he couldn''t overpower her directly.


    However, she seemed to be a power-type monster, not using psychic attacks and not having strong perception. She had a strong fondness for sucking blood.


    For Gu Yi, this was good news.


    Furthermore, the st-proof door required an ess card to open. If he could find a way to deal with the woman, he might obtain the ess card...


    "Let''s try again."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You leave the hotel.)


    (You arrive at the entrance of the eerie container.)


    (You observe your surroundings and notice a gantry crane not far away.)


    (You go to the control panel of the gantry crane, familiarize yourself with the controls, and then use it to lift a cargo box.)


    (You estimate the time, and the woman should being out soon.)


    (You return to the container entrance, take the small knife, and cut your palm, letting the blood drip at the entrance.)


    (You scatter the fresh blood all the way down to the gantry crane and ce the ck eye patch on the ground.)


    (You bandage your wound, hide near the control panel, and silently wait for the woman to take the bait.)


    (The woman indeed follows the blood trail andes over, picking up the eye patch from the ground.)


    (You immediately press the switch.)


    (The containeres crashing down with a loud noise.)


    (You lift the container again.)


    (The woman is crushed into a bloody mess.)


    (From the corpse, you find the ess card and the blood-soaked ck eye patch.)


    (You return to the entrance of the secret base and use the ess card to open the door.)


    (You step into the base.)


    (Through a long corridor, you see a sign.)


    (On the left is the living area, and on the right is the breeding area.)


    (You choose to go to the breeding area.)


    (The deeper you go, the faster your heartbeat and the more iprehensible murmurs fill your mind. Unspeakable forces begin to grow stronger.)


    (You take a moment to rest, concentrate your mind, and sessfully resist this wave of mental erosion.)


    (You continue forward.)


    (You hear a mechanical sound, apanied by human groans of pain.)


    (The Unspeakable''s mental intrusion strikes again.)

 Chapter 84: Weird Giant Tree (1)

    <h4>Chapter 84: Weird Giant Tree (1)</h4>


    (The Unspeakable''s mental intrusion strikes again.)


    (This time, it takes even more effort for you to maintain your sanity.)


    (You mentally prepare yourself and follow the direction of the sound.)


    (In front of you is a hall the size of a basketball court.)


    (The hall is brightly lit, and there''s a faint smell of blood in the air.)


    (Lined up in the hall are nearly a hundred beds, with young women and children lying on them. A finger-thick branch is stuck inside their head, wriggling on their heads like worms. The wounds around the branches are festering and bleeding, making it a scene of extreme misery.)


    (The branches grow straight upward, intertwining and gathering until they form a massive root that pierces through the ceiling.)


    (You examine the branches and roots carefully and discover that they are half bone and half flesh.)


    (You hear cries for helping from nearby.)


    (A seven or eight-year-old girl who had her eyes open wide, try to reach out to you.)


    (You instinctively grasp her hand.)


    (Little Girl: Save me...)


    (White liquid flows out from the girl''s nostrils, and her mouth has a faint smell of almond water.)


    (The branch on her head is convulsing incessantly, emitting a nauseating squeaking sound.)


    (You feel extremely angry.)


    (You gradually lose control.)


    (You uncontrobly draw out the knife and sh at the branch.)


    (The branch spews out a red and white mixed liquid.)


    (You get contaminated by the liquid.)


    (Youpletely lose your sanity.)


    (You go mad.)


    (You wield the knife and sever your own throat.)


    (Your vision goespletely dark.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    "Heh... Unlocking such a death method for the first time, it''s quite a novel experience."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    Due to his mental power, he has a higher resistance to mental intrusionpared to ordinary adventurers, so up to now, he had nevermitted suicide due to a mental breakdown.


    The breeding area''s strange power is the strongest within the secret base. Even with Gu Yi''s mental strength at 90, he couldn''t maintain his sanity in the breeding area all the time.


    The victims being brainwashed must be the nourishment for the weird giant tree.


    <i>¡ªObviously, that tree is what his sister turned into after bing Unspeakable.</i>


    In the surface world, his parents and the Cat and Rat couple are also involved in the kidnapping and trafficking of women and children. They use these abducted children as nourishment for the giant tree in the breeding area.


    They are providing sustenance to the giant tree to achieve some sinister objectives.


    <i>I''m getting closer and closer to the truth!</i>


    "Backtrack."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand at a crossroads.)


    (You choose to explore the living area.)


    (You pass through a not-so-long corridor and arrive at the staff dormitory.)


    (Everyone is asleep, and a few are ying with their phones; they haven''t noticed you.)


    (You carefully observe and realize that these people are all part of the wedding procession team.)


    (You sneak through the corridor, and at the end is the staff canteen.)


    (The canteen is already closed, and the sign next to the door indicates that the work area is ahead.)


    (You continue to explore along the corridor.)


    (The lights in the workrooms are still on.)


    (You peek through the doorframe and see the employees in the duty room dozing off like little chicks pecking at rice.)


    (You gently push open the door and slip into the workroom.)


    (Even though it''ste at night, everyone in the workroom is busy.)


    (All of them have rat-like heads, working efficiently in the production workshop.)


    (You sneak to the end of the assembly line and, when the employees aren''t paying attention, you take a product out of a box.) [1]


    (You take a closer look.)


    (It''s an ubeled box of almond water. You open the cap and take a sip, confirming that it tastes just like the almond water in the inner world.)


    (You start feeling a bit dazed.)


    (You see stars in your vision.)


    (Various illusions appear before your eyes. You close your eyes and fall asleep.)


    (When you open your eyes again, you find Mr. Rat standing in front of you.)


    (Mr. Rat: Young man, it seems you''ve been naughty. Do you know how much energy you''ve wasted of ours?)


    (You: What exactly do you do?)


    (Mr. Rat: Hmph, maybe you''ll find out in your next life.)


    (Mr. Rat snaps his fingers, and a white branch descends from the above, piercing through your forehead and sucking on your brain)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction is over!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    This time, his death brought him new clues.


    The almond water produced in the underground base possesses a strange power; it can induce sleep and hallucinations.


    The victims in the breeding area also emit the scent of almond water. Before bing the nourishment, they are fed almond water.


    Gu Yi re-entered the deduction.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You hide in a corner of the assembly line.)


    (The noise from the factory machines is deafening, and the workers are busy with their overtime work; no one pays attention to you.)


    (You move upstream along the assembly line and hide behind a shelf.)


    (Mr. Rat is supervising the workers, holding a notebook and jotting down notes and sketches. After making a round of inspection, Mr. Rat leaves through a side door.)


    (You wait for a while, then follow him.)


    (The noise here is slightly quieter; this should be the office area.)


    (All the offices on both sides of the corridor are closed, with no one inside.)


    (You pass through the office area.)


    (At the end of the corridor is Mr. Rat''s office, and you peek inside through the window.)


    (On Mr. Rat''s desk, there''s a bottle of almond water. Miss Cat is sitting beside him, looking at her phone, and there''s a te of small white mice next to her, which she nibbles on as snacks.)


    (Rat: How''s the tree doing?)


    (Cat: Sleeping soundly.)


    (Rat: What about that brat who escaped from the dream?)


    (Cat: Don''t worry, that kid won''t get far.)


    (Rat: Did you clear the way over there?)


    (Cat: Of course, I did it long ago. Do you think I need you to remind me?)


    (Rat: You''re right; my wife is so capable.)


    (Cat: Indeed.)


    (The Cat and Rat smile at each other and embrace.)


    (You quietly leave the corridor and continue walking elsewhere.)


    (You''ve been pondering the metaphor of the Cat and the Rat.)


    (The Cat doesn''t catch the Rat but instead marries the Rat. This metaphor implies a collusion between official and bandit.)


    (The Cat and Rat couple engage inrge-scale human trafficking and even built such a massive underground factory. It''s impossible to achieve this without a protective umbre.)


    (The Cat and Rat couple can also use the strange power in the surface world, which should be influenced by the giant tree.)


    (After sacrificing so many living people as nourishment, they must have gained something in return.)


    (They are holding onto you because you are an important sacrifice for the giant tree.)


    (Miss Cat needs to use the weird power to scare you to death, while Mr. Rat needs the branches of the giant tree to suck your brain. This indicates that they must kill you using the weird powers to sessfullyplete the sacrificial ritual.)


    (You continue exploring the base, searching for a way to destroy the giant tree.)

 Chapter 85: Weird Giant Tree (2)

    <h4>Chapter 85: Weird Giant Tree (2)</h4>


    (You continue exploring the office area.)


    (Now it''s nighttime, and the staff are all off work, leaving only the workers on the assembly line still working overtime. This provides great convenience for your exploration.)


    (At the end of the office area, you find a set of stairs leading upwards.)


    (You climb the stairs.)


    (It''s pitch-ck up here, so you take out a shlight to illuminate the surroundings.)


    (Directly in front of you is a massive ss wall, behind which lies a gigantic tree trunk.)


    (The tree trunk is red and white, with the white parts being bones and the red parts flesh and blood.)


    (Strange patterns on the bark resemble human faces, and red blood flows upward through the crevices of the patterns.)


    (The corridor beneath your feet is a winding pathway that spirals upward, built around the giant tree and extending all the way to its top.)


    (You continue walking upward.)


    (In the middle of the tree trunk, you see its branches, which are connected by sections of white bones. At the top of the branches is a withered fleshy palm with a grape-sized eyeball in its center.)


    (As you pass by the branches, those eyeballs turn and fixate on you, staring intensely.)


    (You feel your scalp tingle, and your body trembles involuntarily.)


    (You concentrate, resisting the mental intrusion.)


    (You keep moving upward, and the power of the mental intrusion diminishes the higher you go.)


    (You see the massive treetop, and you faintly hear cries of misery.)


    (To your left, a long corridor appears, leading to the treetop.)


    (At the end of the corridor is another explosion-proof door.)


    (You use your ess card to open it.)


    (Behind the door stands a group of sheep-headed creatures, and upon spotting you, they all raise the steel forks in their hands.)


    (You quickly take three steps back and swiftly pull out a whip from your bag.)


    (You vigorously swing the whip.)


    (The whip whips up a tornado, instantly tearing the sheep-headed creatures into pieces.)


    (These creatures must have been created by the giant tree using its Weird powers to protect itself from intruders, but they happen to be restrained by your whip.)


    (You step over the corpses of the sheep-headed creatures and continue walking forward.)


    (All the eyeballs on the tree branches are still fixated on you, and they all fly towards you, continuously banging on the ss wall.)


    (You give the whip a strong shake.)


    (All the eyeballs tremble, and the fleshy palm at the treetop immediately closes, covering the eyeballs.)


    (You keep moving deeper into the area.)


    (Through the ss window beside you, you see a group of people chasing after you at the bottom of the corridor, led by Mr. Rat.)


    (You must have intruded into a restricted area, and killing the sheep-headed creatures alerted them all.)


    (Swinging your arms, you quickly run forward.)


    (You pass through the ss corridor and reach the end.)


    (In front of you is a pitch-ck tree hole, and without hesitation, you rush inside.)


    (The tree hole emits the putrid smell of corpses, and with a shlight in your mouth, you climb up the inner wall of the tree trunk towards the treetop.)


    (Whispers start echoing in your ears.)


    (Your vision begins to blur.)


    (You take a moment to rest and resist the mental intrusion.)


    (You hear a jumble of footsteps from below; Mr. Rat is getting closer to you.)


    (You grit your teeth and persevere, finally reaching the top.)


    (Your sister is lying on the treetop, countless branches entwined around her body, and white bone branches are delivering nutrients to her body. She looks peaceful, as if still in slumber.)


    (You loudly call out your sister''s name.)


    (Mr. Rat enters the tree hole and curses at you.)


    (Rat: Stay away from her!)


    (Mr. Rat forcefully ps the tree trunk.)


    (A white bone branch sprouts from behind you; you manage to dodge in time, but it grazes your shoulder.)


    (More and more bone branchese at you from all directions.)


    (With all your strength, you leap and grab onto the branches on your sister''s body.)


    (Using both your hands and feet, you climb on the treetop.)


    (Mr. Rat imitates your actions and climbs up after you.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a chill behind you.)


    (You look down and see Miss Cat''s head popping out from under your feet.)


    (Cat: Meow~ Look into my eyes, cutie. Am I beautiful?)


    (Your mental world is on the verge of copse.)


    (You suddenly feel a surge of heat in your chest.)


    (Grandma''s lucky pouch emits a golden light.)


    (Your mind clears up for a moment.)


    (You: You ugly freak, go to hell!)


    (You kick Miss Cat''s head away, and she screams in pain before falling down.)


    (Mr. Rat has climbed to the treetop, and countless rats crawl out from his sleeves and trousers.)


    (You are swarmed by rats, making it difficult to move.)


    (Rat: What other tricks do you have? Show me!)


    (Mr. Rat breaks off a white bone branch and approaches you.)


    (Rat: Die!)


    (Mr. Rat raises the bone branch and thrusts it toward your chest.)


    (You grit your teeth, struggle, and take out a lighter and mosquito-repellent spray from your backpack. You light the lighter and press the spray button toward the me.)


    (Boom!)


    (A towering me erupts, igniting Mr. Rat''s eyebrows and hair.)


    (Mr. Rat screams, trying to pat out the mes on his head. Seizing the opportunity, you headbutt him in the waist.)


    (Mr. Rat slips and falls from the treetop.)


    (The rats persistently bite and chase after you, and your body is covered in blood.)


    (You struggle to crawl towards your sister.)


    (You: Wake up quickly!)


    (You shout loudly, but your sister shows no response.)


    (You hear creaking sounds from behind.)


    (Countless white branches bring Mr. Rat to the treetop, and Miss Cat, holding her own head, stands behind Mr. Rat.)


    (Rat: Get away from her!)


    (Cat: You have no idea what she is!)


    (Your sister is obviously the Unspeakable.)


    (Since there''s no way to wake her up, you have to kill her.)


    (You take out the knife and stab toward your sister''s chest.)


    (Your sister''s body turns into an intangible like a ghost, and your knife passes through her, stabbing downward into the treetop.)


    (Mr. Rat releases more rats.)


    (You are pressed under the swarm of rats, and due to excessive blood loss, your vision bes blurred.)


    (You take out the spirit from your pocket, smash it with force, and then throw the lit lighter towards it.)


    (The mes instantly ignite the entire treetop.)


    (The swarm of rats instinctively flees.)


    (You turn back and look at the cat and rat couple. They all wear terrified expressions and unhesitatingly jump off the treetop.)


    (Your sister is engulfed in mes.)


    (You feel the giant tree trembling, slowly copsing.)


    (Your sister sits up from the mes, giving you a sweet smile.)


    (Sister: Who are you?)


    (You: I am your brother.)


    (Sister: No, you are not my brother.)


    (Your mind copses.)


    (You gradually lose consciousness.)


    (You died.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, recalling the scene just now.


    He hade close to the Unspeakable, even igniting the enormous tree, but ultimately, he died from mental erosion.


    Clearly, this was not the correct way to pass customs.


    "Did my sister say I''m not her brother? Is it because I kept thinking about killing her instead of helping her find relief? Is the right approach to restore her to normal without harming her?"

 Chapter 86: Weird Giant Tree (3)

    <h4>Chapter 86: Weird Giant Tree (3)</h4>


    Gu Yi carefully pondered the details from earlier.


    Miss Cat''s ability was to transform into a ghost and use psychic attacks to scare enemies to death, but Gradma''s lucky pouch could withstand Miss Cat''s mental assaults, making her less formidable.


    Mr. Rat''s strength wasparable to that of an adult male, but he was smaller in size. He could manipte the giant tree with weird powers and summon a horde of rats to attack, but using conventional weapons should be enough to drive him away.


    However, even if Gu Yi managed to burn down the giant tree, he couldn''t escape his sister''s punishment.


    Gu Yi still had no clue about his sister''s weakness.


    "Should I first find a way to free those innocent children?"


    <i>In the breeding area, there were many children who had been abducted and sold. Is there a way to rescue them first?</i>


    <i>Or perhaps, I could seek help from other more powerful forces to take down their base?</i>


    After a moment of contemtion, Gu Yi decided to change his approach.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You stand at a crossroads and head toward the breeding area.)


    (You bite your lip, using the pain to keep yourself awake.)


    (You arrive at the breeding area.)


    (Your breath quickens, and your mind bes unsteady.)


    (You sprinkle the white bone branches with spirit and light them on fire.)


    (The branches catch fire easily, and the entire area is illuminated by the mes in no time.)


    (The sounds of wailing echo in your ears, nearly driving you to the brink of copse.)


    (You leave the breeding area and encounter the staff rushing to put out the fire.)


    (They chase after you.)


    (You dash towards the exit while making a frantic call to the police.)


    (Most people are busy fighting the fire, and only a few employees follow you.)


    (You reach the ground outside and hide in the moonlit darkness.)


    (Thick smoke emanates from the ground.)


    (You hear the sirens of police cars and fire trucks.)


    (Cat and rat couple step outside the door, preventing the firefighters from entering.)


    (The police arrive at the scene.)


    (Miss Cat pulls the police officer aside and says a few words to him. The officer then leaves. However, the firefighters refuse to leave and bravely rush into the underground base with their equipment.)


    (Painful screams echo through the air.)


    (Cat and rat couple cover their ears and close their eyes.)


    (The firefighters cannot withstand the overwhelming mental impact and copse on the spot, bleeding from their seven orifices.)


    (You cover your ears and run frantically towards the dock, with blood gushing from your nose.)


    (Dark clouds obscure the sky.)


    (You hear your sister''s voiceing from the sky.)


    (Sister: Brother... save me... I''m in so much pain... so lonely... sob, sob, sob...)


    (The air in front of you cracks as if ss shattering.)


    (Endless void rushes toward you.)


    (You turn into nothingness.)


    (You die.)


    (The Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and sprawled on the bed.


    This doesn''t make sense...


    He has already achieved a seventy percent exploration rate and should have acquired all the plot items. Why is it still impossible to destroy the unspeakable?


    His sister''s weird power is too strong. It can actually plunge the entire world into the void.


    No wonder cat and rat couple didn''t want him to wake up his sister. They must be afraid that she will destroy the world.


    But wouldn''t that be a dead end?


    "What if I expose the truth here and let everyonee to help?"


    Gu Yi thinks of another method.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (You arrive at the breeding area.)


    (You take out your phone and record a video of the ce.)


    (You turn around and quickly escape.)


    (You suspect Miss Cat and the police are colluding, but you can''t believe it for now. You decide to upload the video you took to the inte.)


    (You enter an inte cafe.)


    (You upload the eerie scenes from the underground base, and in no time, it goes viral on the inte. However, the effect surprises everyone.)


    (Netizens don''t believe it''s a real scene; they think it''s CGI or part of a movie''s marketing campaign.)


    (No matter how you exin, no one is willing to believe it.)


    (You leave the inte cafe.)


    (You notice many people staring at you from the corner of the street.)


    (You sense something is wrong and quickly leave through the back alleys.)


    (All those watching on the roadside surround you.)


    (You are pushed to the ground.)


    (Miss Cat walks up to you and grabs your hair.)


    (You terminate the Deduction!)


    "Public opinion won''t work either, now that I think about it. When the Weird world first descended, people in the real world didn''t believe it either. They only epted reality when Weird events happened right in front of them."


    Gu Yi helplessly sat up from the bed and leaned against the window, looking outside.


    There were no streetlights there, only moonlight illuminating the area.


    Gu Yi noticed a few suspicious figures lingering at the street corner. They lit up cigarettes and gathered in small groups.


    <i>Thud, thud, thud--</i>


    Someone knocked on the door from outside.


    Gu Yi''s heart tightened, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.


    "Deduction!"


    (The Deduction begins!)


    (Thud, thud, thud!)


    (The knocking on the door continues.)


    (You: Who?)


    (Voice outside: Room service.)


    (You open a corner of the door and find two men in suits outside.)


    (You terminate the Deduction!)


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    The knocking on the door continued.


    "Open the door!"


    Gu Yi gritted his teeth and grabbed his backpack.


    He was so focused on the Deduction and pondering the problem that he didn''t notice that he was being followed. He had been lying on the bed for at least ten minutes, and that was more than enough time for his enemies to set up traps around him.


    "Deduction!"


    (The Deduction begins!)


    (The knocking on the door bes more urgent.)


    (You turn off the room lights and open the window.)


    (The guys in the corner, holding cigarettes, immediately approach towards you.)


    (At this moment, dark clouds obscure the moonlight.)


    (The door behind you suddenly makes a loud noise as they try to force it open.)


    (You crawl out of the window and hold onto the drain pipe, sliding down.)


    (Your slim figure and light weight allow you tond safely on the ground.)


    (You hear footsteps behind you.)


    (You start running forward and put on the eye patch as you run.)


    (You notice red dots everywhere around you; they have blocked all escape routes except the one leading to the beach.)


    (You run towards the sea.)


    (Everyone is chasing after you desperately, but you manage to be one step ahead and dive into the seawater.)


    (You swim with all your might, diving deeper into the sea.)


    (You put on the eye patch and observe the movement of the red dots on the shore.)


    (They gather at the shoreline, and someone has already gone to the dock to get a boat ready.)


    (You continue swimming forward, heading towards a small yacht not far away.)


    (You climb up onto the yacht.)


    (The people on the shore make a big circle and start approaching the yacht.)


    (You estimate they will catch up in no more than three minutes.)


    (You find some clothes inside the small yacht and put them on.)


    (You walk to the engine room of the yacht and open the fuel tank.)

 Chapter 87: Fire at the Southern Dock

    <h4>Chapter 87: Fire at the Southern Dock</h4>


    (You take out a bottle of spirit and remove the cap.)


    (You tear apart the clothes you just found and use a piece of fabric to plug the bottle opening.)


    (You hear the footsteps of the enemy catching up to the yacht.)


    (Hurriedly, you ce the bottle into the fuel inlet.)


    (Enemy: He''s down there!)


    (The enemy has discovered your location.)


    (You take out a lighter, but it got wet, so it takes a while for it to ignite.)


    (The fabric quickly catches fire.)


    (You quickly escape from the engine room and jump off the side of the yacht.)


    (Boom!)


    (The yacht behind you undergoes a violent explosion.)


    (The shockwave from the explosion propels you, and you fall into the sea.)


    (The explosion triggers a chain reaction, and several ships at the dock start burning.)


    (The enemies are instantly engulfed in the sea of mes.)


    (You swam out of the water, feeling a heaviness in your chest and tinnitus in your ears by the st.)


    (You put on the eye patch and notice a few scattered red dots moving toward you.)


    (The fire spreads ashore.)


    (You rush into the fire and run the other way.)


    (After ten minutes, the fire brigade arrives quickly.)


    (You hide in a back alley, repeatedly checking for enemies using the eye patch.)


    (Your chest pain bes unbearable, but you dare not seek medical treatment at the hospital.)


    (You feel extremely exhausted.)


    (You are temporarily safe.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>


    The knocking behind him grew more urgent.


    Gu Yi quickly turned off the lights, opened the window, and slid down the pipe without hesitation. Following the path he had previously deducted, he ran towards the seaside.


    "Quick, catch up to him!"


    "He''s heading towards the dock!"


    "No worries, you guys go around from the east side, others find a speedboat and wait in the sea. Even if he jumps into the water, we''ll capture him."


    The enemiesmunicated via radio, arranging their tactics.


    Gu Yi like a prophet, again and again slipped through the enemy''s encirclement.


    "What''s with this kid?"


    "He''s sliding like an eel."


    "Never mind, just force him into the sea. He''s not a dolphin, can he outrun a boat?"


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Gu Yi reached the shore and plunged into the dark waters.


    The enemies had already boarded the speedboat and were closing in on Gu Yi. A bald man stood on the boat, holding a megaphone and shouting.


    "Gu Yi,e with us. The farther you are from us, the more dangerous it is for you. Only bying with us you stand a chance of survival."


    Gu Yi ignored them and swam with all his might towards a small yacht at the shore.


    "Damn it, tell the people onnd to hurry up."


    "Okay!"


    The location where the yacht was docked was somewhat remote, requiring a considerable detour onnd, but in the water, the distance was much shorter for Gu Yi.


    He jumped out of the water, grabbing onto the yacht''s anchor, and used both his hands and feet to climb onto the yacht.


    "Hurry up!"


    The bald man patted his subordinate''s shoulder, urging him to speed up and bring the boat alongside the yacht.


    At that moment, a few people arrived on the shore, swiftly climbing onto the yacht.


    "Where is that kid hiding?"


    "He''s down below!"


    Everyone rushed into the lower deck in a frenzy.


    The bald man''s speedboat stopped by the yacht, and he was about to climb aboard when he heard a ssh.


    A figure fell from the yacht, creating a huge ssh.


    "You idiots, he''s here..."


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The mes soared into the sky!


    Everyone on the yacht was engulfed by the sea of mes. The bald man was propelled into the air by the tremendous shockwave and disappeared who knows where.


    Fueled by the wind, the mes surged and burned everything in its path.


    Inside the warehouses on the shore, various mmable goods ignited instantly, and the entire dock became as bright as day in an instant.


    <i>Crash!</i>


    Gu Yi crawled out of the water, panting heavily as he gazed at the mes.


    Although he had protected himself when jumping into the water, Gu Yi still felt a heaviness in his chest and couldn''t help but vomit a mouthful of blood.


    The previous explosion had caused him internal injuries.


    His ears were ringing, and he couldn''t regain his hearing for a while.


    "Cough, cough¡ª"


    Thick smoke billowed, and Gu Yi put on the eye patch to look in the direction of the underground base.


    More red dots were running toward him.


    The people who were chasing him just now must have been hired by the Cat and rat couple. They didn''t possess any extraordinary abilities, but the people in the underground base were different.


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to rest; he rushed out without stopping.


    Today was not the right time to explore the underground base.


    ...


    Dozens of fire trucks blocked the dock.


    Gu Yi hid in a corner, gazing at the mes in the south, lost in thought.


    The police and firefighters wereing and going, but they didn''t discover the mysterious underground base buried beneath.


    "Sigh... I can''t move anymore."


    Gu Yi leaned against the wall, looking at his arms, covered in burns and scalds. He was covered in soot and ash, and even if his parents appeared in front of him now, they probably wouldn''t recognize him.


    The pain in his chest was relentless as if his lungs had been smashed with a sledgehammer. He didn''t know how much harmful gas he had inhaled while escaping.


    Gu Yi''s eyelids became heavier and heavier, and his head swayed as he fainted.


    ...


    "Child, wake up, wake up quickly."


    An elderly scavengerdy discovered Gu Yi lying in a garbage heap. She bent down and gently woke him up from his slumber.


    "Ugh... cough, cough."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes groggily, his chest still hurting. He coughed twice and spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm.


    "Oh, why are you coughing up blood?"


    "It''s nothing." Gu Yi''s breathing sounded hoarse and rough. "What time is it now?"


    "It''s eight in the morning. Where are your family members? Should I call an ambnce for you?"


    "No need."


    Gu Yi struggled to get up from the corner. He looked towards the direction of the dock, where the pitch-ck thick smoke still hadn''t dispersed.


    The firefighters had been battling the ze all night, but they hadn''t been able to extinguish it.


    "If this were the real world, I''d definitely be squatting in prison until my next life."


    Gu Yi had slept through the night in a daze, miraculously remaining undetected by the enemies.


    However, it was because of the massive fire at the dock that the enemies dared not leave the base hastily. While Cat and Rat couple could control the police, they couldn''t control the firefighters. Thus, hiding in the underground base was the safest option.


    It was precisely for this reason that Gu Yi chose to start the fire to evade the pursuit of the enemies.


    Gu Yi aimlessly strolled along the streets, his mind constantly pondering over any mistakes he might have made along the way, but he couldn''t find any usible reasons.


    Hence, Cat and Rat couple didn''t find him through conventional means; they must have used their weird powers to track him down.


    <i>Beep, beep, beep¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi''s phone rang, and he noticed it was from a strange number ending with¡ª999.


    A chill ran down Gu Yi''s spine, and he reached into his pocket, finding that the phone''s SIM card was still securely in ce.


    <i>Without a SIM card, how could the phone receive a call?</i>


    <i>Could it be that Miss Cat used her weird powers to locate him?</i>


    "Who is it?"


    Gu Yi answered the call.


    "It''s me, old friend. Your escape yesterday was truly impressive; I couldn''t help but apud for you."


    "Are you the host? Cough, cough..."


    Gu Yi couldn''t help but clench his fist, coughing excitedly.


    The hostughed heartily, "Well, well, don''t cough yourself to death. Now, I can give you a chance. If you surrender and agree to my conditions, I''ll spare your life. Otherwise..."


    <i>Click¡ª</i>


    The call was disconnected.


    The host stared at the surveince screen in front of him and couldn''t help but crush the phone.


    Gu Yi looked up at the sky, raising two middle fingers as he rejected the host through his actions.

 Chapter 88: The Secret of the Number List (1)

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Secret of the Number List (1)</h4>


    "Can you see me? You Bastard! This is my answer!"


    Gu Yi raised his middle finger towards the sky and walked forward with a cold smile.


    It seemed that the host was determined to force him to surrender.


    No wonder those enemies came out of nowhere; it must have been the host using his power to give them hints, exposing Gu Yi''s location.


    However, this also exposed the host''s own weakness.


    The host''s power was undoubtedly at a demigod level. He possessed the ability of prophecy, and his prophetic abilities far surpassed Gu Yi''s, making it impossible for Gu Yi to deduce anything about him.


    Furthermore, the host had the ability of spatial teleportation, giving him the strength to sneak up on Gu Yi from behind and kill him with one shot without anyone noticing.


    But the host had never done so.


    Just like in the previous dungeon, he used rhetoric to lead Gu Yi into a trap, and he would never personally kill Gu Yi.


    This indicated that both the host and the director needed to abide by the basic rules of "The Weird World." If the host wanted to threaten Gu Yi, he could only secretly increase the difficulty of the dungeon.


    Clearly, Gu Yi''s sister couldn''t possibly be that powerful, and Cat and Rat couldn''t have so many thugs. It was all the host''s doing behind the scenes.


    <i>¡ªThe more difficult the dungeon, the more it proved that the host was feeling guilty!</i>


    Gu Yi''s phone rang again, and he opened it to see that his sister''s diary entry from May 15th had been unlocked.


    [May 15th, 2021, Light Rain]


    [My head hurts terribly, and strange spots have appeared on my body.]


    [I want Mom to take me to the hospital, but she disagrees, saying that I''ll be fine after a good nap.]


    [I took an afternoon nap.]


    [I found that there were several potted nts in my bedroom. They look very cute, and their flowers resemble stars in the sky.]


    [I said to the potted nts, "I really want a bottle of almond water, the one that my brother often buys for me."]


    [Surprisingly, the potted nts really put the bottle of almond water by my bedside.]


    [I said to the potted nts, "Can you make my headache go away?"]


    [The potted nts said, "Yes, but you have to pay a price."]


    [I didn''t understand what the price was.]


    [The potted nts said, "You just need to go to sleep."]


    [I said, "Really? Just by sleeping?"]


    [The potted nts said, "Yes, lie down and go to sleep."]


    [I was very happy, so Iy down on my bed and continued to sleep. I felt that tomorrow I would be free from the pain of headaches.]


    This diary entry is quite shocking. From this day on, I''s sisterpletely mastered the Weird power and became the Unspeakable in this world. Her ability is to create something out of nothing, simr to a wish, but the price is falling into eternal slumber.


    "Could it be..."


    Gu Yi touched his nose,ing up with another possibility.


    In fact, the ones who truly awakened his sister''s power were not the circus but Cat and Rat couple. They achieved this by abusing his sister, gradually awakening her power.


    His own parents betrayed his sister by giving her to Cat and Rat couple while deceiving him into believing that his sister was already dead.


    After Cat and Rat couple adopted his sister, they told her that her brother had already died, which further stimted her.


    ''Bathing her in icy water and then in hot water,'' wasn''t abuse, but a way to train his sister''s willpower.


    So,


    The clown in the circus nted the seed, while Cat and Rat couple watered the tree.


    "Based on the current clues I have, this is the most reasonable exnation."


    Gu Yi frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose, but he still felt that some doubts hadn''t been exined adequately.


    <i>Was it really just a coincidence that our mother fell ill?</i>


    <i>Why did "I''s" parents sell his sister to Cat and Mouse couple?</i>


    <i>Was it all just for money?</i>


    <i>Why did his sister use her weird power to trap "I" in the ind town?</i>


    [1 day, 23 hours, 07 minutes]


    Gu Yi had only two days left.


    ...


    In the real world.


    Gu Yi''s speech spread throughout the entire Dragon country, and his inspiring words motivated all the people of the country.


    After the Weird world came, people were in dire straits.


    No one wanted to be peacefully sleeping at home, only to be bitten to death by evil spirits.


    The mastermind behind "The Weird World" was known as the director, but many also called him a god.


    In the real world, there were even fanatical followers who believed in the director. They sought out weird creatures in the real world and willingly became food for these creatures. When adventurers returned to the real world, these fanatics would even plot to assassinate them.


    When the news about Gu Yi investigating human trafficking cases spread, the entire nation responded actively. People reported all the clues they knew to the nearest police station.


    However, the police force was overwhelmed with such a massive amount of information. Most of the clues were of no value, and only less than ten percent were genuinely worth considering.


    In the Imperial Capital Police Department, all the detectives worked overtime.


    They pulled out all the unsolved cases of missing women and children from the past two years and began to concentrate on handling them.


    The Chief of the Police Bureau, Hu Chang, was working diligently at his desk when someone knocked on his office door.


    "Who''s there?"


    "It''s Qu Kangping."


    Upon hearing this, Hu Chang immediately stood up from his desk.


    Qu Kangping, a legendary figure in the Dragon Country.


    He had sessfully cleared three dungeons in the Weird world, and one of those times, he even achieved a perfect clearance. Due to severe mental damage that could not be healed, he chose to retire from being an adventurer and now serves as the leader of the Dragon Country''s Strategy Team.


    "Team Leader Qu, hello."


    "Have a seat."


    Hu Chang extended his hand to greet Qu Kangping.


    However, Qu Kangping didn''t respond and just sat down on a chair, "We can skip the useless formalities. I''m here to ask about your progress."


    Hu Chang awkwardly withdrew his hand.


    "We still have no leads at the moment."


    "Didn''t I give you those numbers?"


    "Team Leader Qu, those numbers are utterly useless." Hu Chang shook his head, "They''re all disconnected, and the only two numbers we managed to trace have no connection to our investigation targets."


    Qu Kangping closed his eyes and remained silent.


    Hu Chang took a step forward, "Team Leader, is there an issue with the information provided by Gu Yi?"


    "No, I believe in Gu Yi''s judgment. These phone numbers must have some significance. We just don''t know how to use them at the moment."


    "Could it be a code?"


    "We''ve considered that possibility, but what could be the decryption key for the code? Do you know?"


    "Well..."


    Hu Chang was at a loss for words.


    Qu Kangping sighed and shook his head, "Our Strategy Team has some free time recently. Let''s coborate on the investigation. There''s been another weird creature named Bookworm that escaped from the Lighthouse Country. They feed on documents, and currently, your police department has the most important files. Without our protection, it would be challenging for you to handle them."


    "Thank you for your assistance."


    "Yeah."


    Qu Kangping nodded, turned around, and left. Suddenly, he stood at the door, his palm hovering over the doorknob, motionless.


    "What''s wrong, Director Qu?"


    "Did you hear anything strange?"


    "Uh... it seems to be.... the sound of small insects?"


    "It''s Bookworms!"


    Qu Kangping eximed, kicked open the office door, and rushed out.


    Hu Chang''s mouth twitched slightly, "Team Leader if the door is damaged, will you reimburse us?"

 Chapter 89: The Secret of the Number List (2)

    <h4>Chapter 89: The Secret of the Number List (2)</h4>


    "Quickly,e in!"


    Qu Kangping waved his hand, leading two subordinates straight into the archive room.


    <i>Squeak--</i>


    <i>Squeak--</i>


    An irritating chewing sound echoed in the room.


    Qu Kangping took out his gun and rushed into the depths of the archive room.


    <i>Squeak, squeak, squeak...</i>


    In the corner, a weird creature was feasting on documents.


    It was about the size of a hunting dog, with a worm-like body covered in chitinous shell. Its tworge eyes resembled thick-lensed sses, and its mouth was enormous, upying two-thirds of its head.


    The Bookworm turned its head and emitted a cry simr to a baby''s wailing.


    "Waa---"


    Qu Kangping raised his gun and pulled the trigger.


    A silver bullet whizzed through, piercing the Bookworm''s head.


    The Bookworm let out a mournful howl and flew backward.


    "Sprinkle salt on it!"


    "Yes!"


    The two subordinates took out silver salt shakers from their pockets and sprinkled salt frost on the Bookworm.


    The Bookworm cried out in pain.


    Qu Kangping and his team remained calm, while the police outside couldn''t help trembling, and some even copsed, kneeling and crying in fear.


    "Ah Jian, go andfort the police outside."


    "Yes."


    Ah Jian nodded, put away the salt shaker, and walked out of the archive room.


    Dealing with weird creatures was not as simple as having the right equipment. It required strong mental strength; otherwise, one might end up like the police outside, scared to death or driven mad before killing the monster.


    The strength of this Bookworm wasn''t particrly formidable, so it only scared certain mentally weak individuals.


    One of the subordinates squatted beside the Bookworm''s corpse, doing the finishing work. "Tsk tsk, based on the appearance, this is at least a ten-year-old Bookworm. If it keeps gnawing on books, it will eventually start attacking people."


    Qu Kangping pried open the Bookworm''s mouth and found a half-eaten document still stuck in its throat.


    "Hmm... this book looks familiar."


    "Team leader, it''s ''Divine Sayings.''" The subordinate came over and said, "Don''t you remember? We once dismantled a fanatic organization, and ''Divine Sayings'' is their holy scripture. The book is filled with meaningless gibberish, which they started hearing after going insane."


    "Do you remember thest thing Gu Yi said?"


    "What?"


    "The reality and the weird world have a mapping rtionship, and the Host of his dungeon exists within the territory of Dragon Country."


    "So..."


    "If you were the Host, what would you do to prevent Gu Yi frompleting the dungeon?"


    "Team leader, are you suggesting that the Bookworm came for ''Divine Sayings''? Or there might be important clues here? The Host wanted to destroy all the files to slow down our investigation progress!"


    Qu Kangping didn''t speak and walked straight to the chief''s office.


    Hu Chang was looking sadly at his broken office door, attempting to fix it. Unexpectedly, Qu Kangping came back once again and pushed the door open.


    "Oh my god!"


    Hu Chang covered his chest and looked at Qu Kangping, and the office door waspletely destroyed.


    "Why are you standing there? Hurry up and do your job!"


    "Wasn''t I working all the time?"


    Qu Kangping spoke rapidly, "Quickly find me aplete copy of ''Divine Sayings.''"


    "What is ''Divine Sayings''?"


    "You''re the police chief, and you don''t even know about it."


    Qu Kangping sat on Hu Chang''s desk, picked up the phone, and called Hu Chang''s superiors.


    Hu Chang looked anxious, standing behind Qu Kangping, feeling at a loss.


    "I don''t care what method you use, but one hour from now, I must see aplete copy of ''Divine Sayings'' on my desk! If you can''t find it, I''ll smash your skull!"


    <i>m!</i>


    Qu Kangping hung up the phone and nced at Hu Chang, "Get me a cup of coffee, strong, no sugar."


    "Uh... understood."


    One hourter.


    Aplete copy of "Divine Sayings" was ced in front of Qu Kangping. It was rescued from the Bookworm''s mouth by a special agent from a neighboring city. Although the cover was tattered, the text inside was still clear and legible.


    Qu Kangping held "Divine Sayings" along with the number list left by Gu Yi and called in all the code-breaking experts in the city.


    "I''ll give you guys half an hour."


    "Half an hour is not enough..."


    "You¡ªget out!" Qu Kangping pointed to the expert who dared to argue back, then turned to the rest of the experts. "If you seed, you''ll gain supreme glory and be able to join our strategy team. If you fail, the consequences are on you."


    Qu Kangping was known for his domineering attitude, and the code expert didn''t dare to disobey. With a puzzled look, the expert left the office in a daze.


    Outside the office, Ah Jian stood, grinning at the code expert. "You know, we encountered a weird incident in the northeast of Dragon Country. We need your sharp brain to investigate this strange event."


    "Me? Hey, hey, I don''t want to deal with weird events. I''m not good at it..."


    "Since you can''t crack the code, we''ve found a rtively easy one for you. Let''s go."


    "I was wrong, can I stay here to decipher the code?"


    The remaining experts in the office trembled with both hands.


    If they seed, they would gain supreme glory and live a carefree life for the rest of their days.


    But if they failed, they would be sent to carry out dangerous missions.


    Half an hour¡ªeven the most experienced code experts couldn''t crack the code in such a short time. Qu Kangping was clearly making an impossible request.


    "It''s been two minutes!" Qu Kangping said coldly, "The country supports you, not for you to waste resources. Gu Yi is still representing our country in the weird world, facing danger and challenges. You''re fortunate enough to be able to decode in an air-conditioned office. Don''t bargain with me. We''re on the battlefield now, not ying house!"


    The code experts were all writing frantically on their desks.


    <i>tter!</i>


    Twenty minutester, a young expert dropped the pen in his hand.


    Qu Kangping, holding a cigarette, looked curiously at the young man.


    "Captain Qu, I figured it out!" The young man raised the paper in his hand, "This is indeed a code. He used two ssical encryption algorithms simultaneously. The decryption process is not difficult, we just need to..."


    "Just tell me the result."


    "Dragon Country, southeast, coastal province, Bay City, Huang Jia Town. However... this ce doesn''t seem to be a mountainous area; it''s a coastal town?"


    "Don''t worry about that." Qu Kangping stubbed out the cigarette, patted Hu Chang''s shoulder hard, "Immediately head to investigate this ce. I''ll lead the team personally."


    ...


    In Weird World.


    Gu Yi wandered around the city in ragged clothes. With his keen intuition, he discovered several hidden sentries.


    Now, he was still heavily injured and had no chance to resist the enemies.


    Gu Yi went to a nearby pharmacy and bought some painkillers. It was like drinking poison to quench his thirst, but he had no other choice. Going to the hospital for treatment would be walking into a trap.


    "Cough, cough¡ª"


    Gu Yi covered his mouth and coughed twice, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    "Son, son!"


    Gu Yi''s ears twitched, and he leaned against the wall to look behind him. His parents were driving their car beside him.


    <i>¡ªWhy would these twoe here?</i>


    Gu Yi''s heart sank, and he desperately waved his arms.


    "Dedu... Deduction..."


    Gu Yi couldn''t finish his words; his vision went dark, and he copsed on the ground.

 Chapter 90: Hypocritical Parents

    <h4>Chapter 90: Hypocritical Parents</h4>


    Gu Yi woke up again, finding himself seated in the back of his parent''s car.


    His mother was looking down at her phone, and his father was driving, not paying attention to him at all.


    Earlier, he had passed out due to exhaustion, missing the opportunity to use the talent of infinite deductions.


    His parents must be part of the enemy faction, and he couldn''t trust them!


    Gu Yi remained silent and kept his eyes closed.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You open your eyes and sit up from the car seat.)


    (Your movements catch your mother''s attention, and she puts down her phone, looking at you with joy.)


    (Mother: Are you okay, my child?)


    (You: Don''t touch me.)


    (Mother looks at you puzzled.)


    (You decide to confront your parents.)


    (You: I know everything, the whole truth.)


    (Mother: The truth? What are you talking about?)


    (You: Do you want me to say it, or will you admit it yourselves?)


    (Mother: I don''t understand what you''re talking about.)


    (You: Human trafficking, do you really think I don''t know?)


    (Mother stays silent for a moment, and your father pulls up the handbrake, stopping at a traffic light.)


    (Mother: We haven''t done anything like that! Don''t listen to rumors. Your dad and I are honest people. How could we do such a despicable thing?)


    (You: Since I''ve said it, it''s because I have solid evidence. What were you doing at the southern dock yesterday afternoon? Was it for a transaction?)


    (Mother: We''ve never been to that ce...)


    (You: Will you dare to go to the police station with me and check the surveince footage?)


    (Mother: You...)


    (Your father releases the handbrake and presses the elerator.)


    (Your father: Enough, let''s be honest with our child. We are indeed involved in human trafficking, but we have no choice. We''re doing it to stay alive.)


    (You: Hurting others to stay alive?)


    (Your father: Child, we can''t keep arguing about this. Go home, get some rest, and everything will be fine.)


    (You: I''m afraid that once I fall asleep... I''ll never wake up again, right?)


    (Your father remains silent, and your mother''s gaze keeps avoiding yours.)


    (You know you''re right.)


    (As long as you go back home and go to sleep, the Cat-rat couple will definitelye and kill you.)


    (Mother: My child, we love you, and everything we do is to save you.)


    (You: Including handing me over to those monsters?)


    (Mother: Sigh, you don''t know anything at all.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a palpitation, and you instinctively look out the car window and see Miss Cat''s reflection on the ss.)


    (Your head throbs and your mental world bes turbulent.)


    (The lucky pouch on your chest starts to heat up.)


    (Your mind clears again.)


    (You take out a hammer from your backpack, smash the car window, and shout for help.)


    (Your mother quickly reaches out to grab you, and your father immediately ms on the brakes, locking the car doors.)


    (Father: Are you crazy?)


    (You: I''m fighting for my life.)


    (You raise the hammer and smash your mother''s head. You receive the same injury.)


    (The rule of not harming parents is still in effect.)


    (You put away the hammer and jump out of the window.)


    (Vehicles are speeding past you.)


    (Your father jumps out of the car and chases after you.)


    (You clutch your head and run straight to the other side of the street, shouting for help from passersby.)


    (A passerby walks over and holds your hand.)


    (You: Thank you, please help me! Someone is trying to kill me, call the police!)


    (The passerby looks up, and their face gradually turns into that of a rat.)


    (Mr. Rat: Am I the one trying to kill you?)


    (You gasp and identally bump your head on Mr. Rat''s pointed nose.)


    (Mr. Rat winces in pain.)


    (You manage to break free and swing the hammer toward Mr. Rat''s head.)


    (Mr. Rat''s head starts bleeding, and he opens his hand, throwing countless rats from his sleeves.)


    (You run in any direction to escape.)


    (The rats quickly swarm over you, causing you excruciating pain.)


    (You cry out for help from the nearby pedestrians, but you notice that the people in the distance have turned into pixted blocks, staring at you with dead fish-like eyes.)


    (You shake your head, trying to stay alert, and the pedestrians return to normal.)


    (Miss Cat walks over, looking down at you from above.)


    (Miss Cat''s eyes are red; she must have been burned by Grandma''s lucky pouch.)


    (Miss Cat: You can''t escape, little brat.)


    (Miss Cat and Mr. Rat drag you up from the ground and lead you back to the car.)


    (You feelpletely drained.)


    (The car continues driving and returns to the underground base.)


    (Miss Cat picks up almond water and pours it into your mouth.)


    (You find everything in front of you bing blurry.)


    (You fall asleep.)


    (You wake up again and find everyone around you staring at you with dead fish-like eyes, and people in the distance turn into pixted blocks.)


    (Miss Cat walks up to you and pinches your chin.)


    (Miss Cat: You being dead is best for everyone.)


    (Miss Cat takes the White Bone branch and stabs it into your forehead.)


    (Your vision turns blood-red.)


    (You''re dead.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi kept his eyes tightly closed, listening to the noisy sounds outside.


    In this death scene, Miss Cat said a different line.


    "You being dead is best for everyone."


    Based on this, Gu Yi inferred that "I" actually posed a deadly threat to Cat and Rat couple, his parents, and everyone in the base, so they had to kill him.


    In thest moment before death, Gu Yi seemed to briefly return to the Inner World, where everyone''s eyes turned into dead fish-like eyes.


    It''s possible that thest time he drank the almond water, he also briefly returned to the Inner World, and that''s when Miss Cat killed him in the coffin.


    Now it''s certain.


    The Inner World is the creation of his younger sister, and the giant tree is a manifestation of his sister''s weird power.


    The cat and Rat couple wanted to kill him, but the method to do so was crucial; they had to use his sister''s power to kill him.


    Either make himself return to the Inner World.


    Or use the White Bone branch to kill him.


    And furthermore, they were killing him not to sacrifice him to the giant tree, but because they feared him.


    Could this be the key point to exploit?


    Gu Yi entered the deduction once again.


    (Backtracking begins!)


    (Father pulls the handbrake and stops at a traffic light.)


    (Instead of talking to your parents, you quickly observe the surroundings.)


    (Recalling the direction from which the Cat and Rat couple appeared, you roughly deduce the position of the car they are riding in.)


    (You secretly hold the knife, and when your parents are not paying attention, you immediately open the car door and run out the second the light changes to green.)


    (Your parents scream.)


    (You weave through the traffic.)


    (Arge truck was about to turn, and you rush up into its blind spot. If you don''t dodge, you would be caught under its wheels.)

 Chapter 91: Victory Amidst Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 91: Victory Amidst Chaos</h4>


    (Arge truck ising towards you.)


    (You don''t back down and instead, rush towards the truck.)


    (You hear a loud crash.)


    (A ck sedan collides with the front of the truck, stopping it.)


    (Mr. Rat jumps out of the car andes straight towards you.)


    (You crawl under the bottom of the truck and continue running ahead.)


    (The collision between the truck and the sedan blocked all threenes, and the Cat and Rat couple''s car can''t move either.)


    (You''re in the middle of the road,pletely ignoring the nearby traffic.)


    (Traffic is in chaos because of you.)


    (You run across an intersection and nce back.)


    (Miss Cat also jumps out of the car and starts chasing you on foot.)


    (You keep running, pass through an underground tunnel, and arrive at the riverbank.)


    (The Cat and Rat couple are close behind.)


    (You flip and jump into the river, floating downstream.)


    (Mr. Rat also follows and jumps in after you.)


    (You take out a small knife and cut your wrist, letting fresh blood flow.)


    (Mr. Rat freezes in ce.)


    (You: If you follow me, I''ll cut my throat.)


    (Mr. Rat: Do you want to die? I''ll grant your wish!)


    (You grip the knife in reverse and stab your own chin.)


    (Mr. Rat looks terrified and raises his hands.)


    (Mr. Rat: "Calm down! Let''s talk, but please don''t do anything foolish again!")


    (You float under the bridge, looking up.)


    (Miss Cat is standing by the bridge, afraid toe down. Cats fear water, so only Mr. Rat chased after you.)


    (You continue floating downstream.)


    (You''ve lost a lot of blood, and your vision bes blurry.)


    (You pretend to faint, floating on your back on the water''s surface.)


    (Mr. Rat quickly swims to your side.)


    (You make a move from underwater and stab the small knife into Mr. Rat''s chest.)


    (Mr. Rat screams in pain.)


    (You forcefully twist your wrist, erging the wound.)


    (Mr. Rat instinctively releases countless mice, but they are ineffective in the water.)


    (Mr. Rat gradually stops struggling.)


    (You push Mr. Rat away and swim to the shore.)


    (You take out bandages and medicine from your backpack and quickly treat your own wounds.)


    (You climb up the riverbank and continue running along the river.)


    (You manage to temporarily shake off Miss Cat.)


    (You hide in a nearby alley.)


    (You stop the deduction!)


    Feasible.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and silently leaned back in the chair.


    His mother noticed him, "Son, you''re awake."


    "Yeah."


    "What happened to you? How did you get so injured? Why didn''t you answer our calls?"


    "My phone was off."


    Gu Yi drooped his head and leaned against the window, secretly taking out the small knife from his backpack.


    The car stopped at an intersection.


    Through the rearview mirror, his father nced at his son and whispered, "Son, you seem a bit off?"


    "Cough, cough¡ª"


    "Should we take you to the hospital first?"


    His father didn''t know how tomunicate with his child. He looked at the traffic light and let go of the handbrake to prepare to drive.


    Suddenly, his car''s rm went off, indicating that the rear door wasn''t closed.


    Immediately, he heard his wife scream.


    His father quickly turned his head to look back, only to see his son had opened the car door and rushed into the fast-moving traffic.


    "Come back quickly!"


    His father shouted in shock.


    Behind them, the Cat and Rat couple were also taken aback when they saw Gu Yi rush out of the car.


    "Follow him quickly!"


    "I know, don''t rush me!"


    Mr. Rat stepped on the elerator,pletely disregarding the traffic behind him as he chased after Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi was running ahead, and he slightly turned his head, giving Mr. Rat a yful smile.


    Arge truck wasing towards Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi didn''t see the truck, and the driver didn''t see Gu Yi!


    "This kid has gone crazy!"


    Mr. Rat cursed loudly while stepping on the elerator and honking the horn to alert the truck driver.


    Gu Yi was about to be caught under the truck''s wheels.


    Mr. Rat widened his eyes and forcefully turned the steering wheel, crashing into the side of the truck.


    The airbags deployed.


    The truck driver looked bewildered, he opened the car door, but Mr. Rat had already jumped out of the car.


    "You idiot, how do you drive?"


    Mr. Rat didn''t even bother with the driver. He looked down and saw that Gu Yi had already crawled under the truck and ran to the other side.


    This kid was clearly looking to die, deliberately going where there were many cars.


    The orderly intersection was now aplete mess.


    "You little brat..."


    Mr. Rat got up from the ground, bypassed the truck driver, and chased after Gu Yi.


    The driver was furious.


    Miss Cat also jumped out of the car, and the driver relentlessly followed them, "Hey, aren''t you going to be responsible? Don''t run!"


    "Get lost!"


    Miss Cat pped the driver in the face and turned to run.


    The three of them chased each other.


    Crossed the intersection.


    Passed through an underground tunnel.


    Headed straight to the bank of the moat.


    Gu Yi put on his backpack and dived into the turbulent river.


    Miss Cat held onto the railing, looking at the flowing water.


    "Why... why did he jump into the water?"


    "I''ll go after him!"


    Mr. Rat took off his coat and dived into the water.


    Gu Yi was physically weak, and his swimming speed was not fast. In a moment, Mr. Rat reached Gu Yi.


    "You little brat, stop right there!"


    Gu Yi grinned and took out the small knife, cutting his wrist.


    Mr. Rat''s eyes widened, and he froze in ce.


    Gu Yi held the knife against his own neck, "If you follow me, I''ll cut my throat."


    Mr. Rat''s hands trembled uncontrobly.


    <i>Why is this kid so calm while saying such chilling words?</i>


    <i>Did he somehow know something?</i>


    Regardless, he couldn''t let him die here!


    "Do you want to die? Then I''ll grant your wish!"


    Mr. Rat moved his arm.


    Gu Yi reversed the knife, stabbing his own chin, and stared coldly at Mr. Rat with a faint smile still on his lips.


    Mr. Rat waspletely frozen in ce.


    <i>This kid actually knew the truth?</i>


    "Wait, I surrender!" Mr. Rat raised his hands, "Don''t be agitated! Let''s talk, please don''t do anything foolish again."


    Gu Yi sneered inwardly.


    Unexpectedly, his acting was even better than during the deduction. Mr. Rat was visibly more nervous than thest time.


    If he deceived him at this moment...


    "All of this is fake, and you''re fake too. Everyone is fake. Even if I die now... I''ll wake up in bed again tomorrow, right?"


    "No, it''s not like that." Mr. Rat shook his head, his gaze slightly evasive. "Believe me, we won''t harm you. We want to help you. Why did you run away?"


    "I''ve seen you all there."


    "That was all a dream. You''ve misunderstood, really."


    "I can''t misunderstand. You''ve tried to catch me multiple times. Don''t think I don''t know what you''re nning."


    Gu Yi had already obtained the answer he wanted. He pretended to be weak, gradually lowering his voice, and slowly closed his eyes, floating on the surface of the river, facing the sky.


    "Damn it!"


    Mr. Rat cursed inwardly and quickly swam to Gu Yi''s side. He hugged Gu Yi but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked at Gu Yi in surprise; thetter had a pale face, still wearing a faint smile.


    "You''ve been deceived."


    Gu Yi squinted his eyes, grinned, and forcefully turned the de of the knife.

 Chapter 92: Resting at the Motel

    <h4>Chapter 92: Resting at the Motel</h4>


    Gu Yi forcefully turned the knife, widening the wound.


    Blood gushed out, staining the surface of the water red.


    Mr. Rat made a choking sound in his throat and instinctively pushed Gu Yi away. A cut opened on his back, and countless small mice ran out from inside him.


    However, as soon as these micended in the water, they lost their mobility and sank under the surface.


    Mr. Rat pushed Gu Yi away.


    Gu Yi started swimming and rushed forward, gripping the knife and stabbing toward Mr. Rat''s neck.


    "Hu¡ª"


    Mr. Rat fellpletely silent, clutching Gu Yi''s wrist, his eyes gradually losing focus.


    In a frenzy, Gu Yi kept stabbing three or four more times before finally letting go of Mr. Rat''s lifeless body.


    "Ah! He''s killed someone!"


    Onlookers on the shore screamed in terror.


    Under the adrenaline rush, Gu Yi felt an inexplicable thrill, but soon after, a sense of horror washed over him. The wounds on his wrist and chin started to throb painfully.


    Gu Yi quickly swam to the bottom of the bridge and took out emergency supplies and bandages from his bag to treat himself.


    The first aid kit was waterproof, and the bandages remained dry.


    Gu Yi had only pretended to cut his wrist; he hadn''t severed any major arteries. The cut on his chin was a bit too deep due to excessive force, and without proper stitches, it wouldn''t stop bleeding.


    Sirens sounded in the distance.


    Gu Yi swiftly bound the wound on his wrist and covered his chin with his hand, then floated downstream along the water flow.


    Ten minutester, Gu Yi emerged from the water and crawled onto the riverbank, running a short distance to find a rundown motel.


    "Give me a room."


    The motel''s owner was terrified at the sight of Gu Yi covered in wounds and blood, her face trembling.


    "You... you... let me call an ambnce for you..."


    Gu Yi took out the small knife and pressed it against the owner''s neck, "Can''t you understand what I said? I want you to give me a room."


    "Please don''t panic, I''ll get you one right away."


    The motel owner quickly handed over the key to Gu Yi.


    "Do you have a needle and thread?"


    "What are you nning to do?"


    "Bring me the needle and thread."


    Gu Yi held the knife against the owner''s neck and walked into the room.


    A while ago, Gu Yi took a moment to deduce. The police would probably trace him here in about thirty minutes, giving him enough time to rest and treat his wounds.


    Gu Yi sat on the sofa, untied the bandage on his chin, and fresh blood began to flow.


    Even with his strong willpower, he couldn''t hold on for much longer with the bleeding going on for so long.


    "You...Hurry up! " Gu Yi pointed to the sewing kit, "Help me stitch up the wound."


    "I... I don''t know how. I''ll call a doctor for you..."


    <i>Thump!</i>


    Gu Yi mmed the small knife on the coffee table, startling the motel owner.


    "Don''t talk nonsense, hurry up!"


    "Okay, okay."


    The owner nodded and, under Gu Yi''smand, used a lighter to sterilize the needle. Then, just like sewing clothes, she stitched up Gu Yi''s wound.


    Gu Yi''s knife was always pressing against the owner''s stomach.


    Her hands trembled continuously.


    "Stay steady, don''t panic."


    "Y-yes, I''m sorry."


    The owner gulped nervously and looked at Gu Yi with fear.


    This young man appeared to be around eighteen or neen years old, extremely pale, yet his willpower was remarkably strong. The needle pierced and weaved through his chin, but he didn''t even flinch.


    After all, she hadn''t used any anesthesia!


    Gu Yi''s eyes stared nkly, but his mind continued to race.


    After returning to the surface world, Gu Yi always had a doubt: why hadn''t the countdown on his phone disappeared?


    Could this so-called surface world be anotheryer of illusion?


    To verify this, before killing Mr. Rat, he deliberately tested him by iming that everything was just a dream.


    Mr. Rat vehemently denied it, but that couldn''t escape Gu Yi''s eyes. His powerful mental strength told him that Mr. Rat was clearly lying.


    This world was still within a dream, but it was closer to the real world than the inner world, and the countdown on the phone served as the best clue.


    Additionally, there were two clues that Gu Yi had been overlooking all along.


    The first was the unreadable contract found in the underground basement.


    The second was the other half of the eye path found in the basement.


    The contract had the word "Gu," on it and Gu Yi immediately assumed it referred to his sister. But what if this "Gu" referred to "I" instead?


    <i>Could the other half of the eye patch in the basement be "I''s" ticket?</i>


    <i>Could it be that "I" had also made a deal with the Dark Moon?</i>


    "Hey, young man? young man?"


    "Hmm?"


    Gu Yi suddenly looked up and saw the motel owner looking at him with anxiety.


    "The wound is stitched up."


    "Hmm."


    Gu Yi nodded and stood up from the sofa.


    He had been so focused on thinking that he hadn''t felt the pain until now.


    The motel owner looked at Gu Yi, unsure of what to do.


    "Can you lend me some clothes? Mine are all dirty."


    "Uh... wait a moment."


    The owner left the room, and Gu Yi followed her.


    "These are my son''s clothes; he''s about the same height as you. They should fit."


    The owner handed Gu Yi a set of clothes.


    Gu Yi quickly put them on, but as he covered his mouth and coughed twice, blood spurted into his hand.


    "Are you sick?"


    "No, it''s probably internal injuries."


    "Are you a gangster?"


    "Heh..." Gu Yi chuckled coldly, "Something scarier than that. I''m an arsonist."


    "Child, what trouble have you gotten into? Maybe I can help you. There''s no need to go down the wrong path."


    The motel owner felt that Gu Yi didn''t seem like a bad person and tried to persuade him.


    "Auntie, if I told you that you were actually living in someone else''s dream, and I need to wake that person up, how would you feel?"


    The motel owner tilted her head, not understanding a word.


    Gu Yi shook his head; he knew these people couldn''t possiblyprehend what he was saying.


    Based on his calctions, the police would arrive in ten minutes. He needed to leave immediately.


    "Wait, child."


    Gu Yi paused as the motel owner spoke up.


    She came closer and held Gu Yi''s hand. "Child, what about your parents? Have you thought about them?"


    "They''re gone."


    "What about grandparents, do you have any?"


    "My grandmother passed away a few days ago."


    "Then what about your hometown, right? Don''t you have any rtives there?"


    "Hometown..."


    Gu Yi hesitated for a moment.


    "Auntie, do you know a ce called ''Huan Dao Town''?"


    "Oh, I know." The motel owner blinked. "Are you talking about the residential area in the east of the city or the town next door?"


    "The town next door, where is it?"


    "Huan Dao Town is an old name; that''s what our older generation used to call it. Now it''s renamed Huang Dao Town. If you take a taxi there, it''ll take half a day."


    "Thank you, Auntie!" Gu Yi took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to her. "Although I''m reluctant, but I have to go. You''ll surely have great fortune."

 Chapter 93: Tulpa (Phantom person)

    <h4>Chapter 93: Tulpa (Phantom person)</h4>


    Another trick by the system!


    When Gu Yi first arrived in this world, he noticed that the residential area where his parents lived was called "Huan Dao," so he naturally assumed that it was the reflection of the "Huan Dao Town" in this surface world.


    But the reality was different!


    There was another ce in this world that was the real "Huan Dao Town," but the name has been changed.


    If it hadn''t been for the casual chat with the motel owner, who mentioned the issue of his hometown, Gu Yi would never have realized this.


    Gu Yi hailed a taxi and closed his eyes to contemte. There were no police tailing him on the way, so he could safely reach Huang Dao Town.


    "Where to?"


    "Huang Dao Town."


    "It''s far away. If we set off now we''ll arrive there in the middle of the night..."


    "Five hundred yuan, and I''ll cover the tolls on the way."


    "Let''s go right away."


    The driver released the handbrake and immediately hit the road.


    The journey was silent.


    Gu Yi took a short nap in the car, and when he opened his eyes again, he had already arrived at Huang Dao Town.


    It was the perfect time, just as the sun was setting.


    Gu Yi paid the fare and walked into the small town.


    As expected, there was a convenience store at the town''s entrance, and the store owner looked exactly like the one from the inner world.


    At this moment, the store owner was listening to aedy show on the radio andughing silly behind the counter.


    Gu Yi put on his eye patch and looked around the town, but there was nothing unusual.


    (The Deduction begins!)


    (You walk towards the depths of the small town, and as you wander around, you see many unfamiliar faces, but the buildings remain the same.)


    (You finally find the old home, but there''s now a fence surrounding it.)


    (You climb over the fence and enter the yard.)


    (You push open the old house''s door.)


    (There''s nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You end the Deduction!)


    Gu Yi didn''t feel nervous; instead, he felt excited.


    His talent couldn''t continue the deduction, which, in turn, proved that he was in the right ce.


    Quickly approaching the old house, Gu Yi vaulted over the fence. He took out his phone and nced at the countdown timer. As he pushed open the front door, the timer paused.


    "Phew."


    Taking a deep breath, Gu Yi stepped into the old house.


    <i>Creak...</i>


    <i>Creak...</i>


    The house echoed with footsteps, but there was no one in sight.


    Gu Yi held his Grandma''s lucky pouch tightly in his hand.


    "Hehehe..."


    Weirdughter echoed continuously throughout the room.


    He''d rather hear ghosts cry than hear themugh.


    In this Weird space, Gu Yi had to be extremely careful.


    "Be focused!"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and focused his attention.


    His strong mental power protected him from the interference of the ghosts, and the faintughter gradually faded away.


    As he ascended the stairs, he heard another set of footsteps.


    [If you hear two sets of footsteps when going upstairs, immediately stop and wait until the other set of footsteps disappears before proceeding.]


    Gu Yi remembered the rule and stood still on the stairs, motionless.


    The footsteps drew closer and grew louder.


    He felt suffocated.


    Strange ripples appeared before his eyes, and then he felt his heart constricting as if someone was gripping it.


    "Damn you!"


    Clutching the lucky pouch, Gu Yi swung it towards the ripples.


    A golden sh passed by, and a faint smell of burnt air filled the atmosphere.


    Grandma''s lucky pouch turned into a charred lump, and the invisible ghost let out a cry of agony.


    "Ahhhh¡ª"


    A gust of Weird wind blew, causing Gu Yi to involuntarily fall back,nding at the staircasending.


    The interior of the old house rapidly aged, covered in dust and cobwebs. "So, this is the correct use of Grandma''s lucky pouch," Gu Yi thought.


    He got up from the ground and ascended the stairs.


    The steps were decrepit and could copse with the slightest misstep. He leaned on the handrail and walked straight up to the third floor.


    Gu Yi kicked the lower right corner of the room''s door and sessfully opened it.


    The attic on the third floor was pitch-ck, and the electricity had stopped working.


    Gu Yi took out a shlight.


    The floor on the third floor was uneven, and mice had made this ce their home. Surprisingly, they showed no fear when they saw Gu Yi; they simply scurried past him.


    Pushing open the room''s door, he found the furniture still arranged as it was before.


    There was only a thinyer of floating dust on the tables and chairs, with no signs of damage.


    However, there was a new item on the big table.


    Gu Yi raised his shlight.


    It was an exquisitely crafted clown mask, identical to the makeup of the Dark Moon Circus clowns. Gu Yi hesitated for a moment before putting on the mask.


    <i>"Congrattions on discovering the special plot item [Tulpa''s Clown Mask]!"</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration level has increased!"</i>


    <i>"Current exploration level: 81%!"</i>


    After wearing the clown mask, Gu Yi felt no difort, and there was no apparent change in his vision.


    "Tulpa... What is that? I feel like I''ve heard it somewhere before..."


    Gu Yi furrowed his brow, pondering carefully. His brain spun rapidly, finally finding the exnation of this term in the corner of his memory.


    "Tulpa," pronounced as "tou-pa," can be tranted as "phantom person."


    It is a form of meditation that exercises one''s mental abilities, allowing individuals to create an imaginarypanion of their own through meditation.


    Most children may briefly and immaturely create tulpa ymates. Those who have experienced psychological trauma are more prone to the brain''s protective mechanism generating immature tulpa.


    Mature tulpa can engage in real-time conversations with their hosts, manifest imagery body in reality, and even be physically touched. They possess self-awareness, can exhibit unexpected behaviors, and canter modify their own personas.


    Adults need up to two hundred hours of meditation to create their own tulpapanion. However, if one''s mind is not strong enough, the tulpa may easily escape control and influence normal life.


    Mature tulpa may vanish, but most of the time, they will be lifelongpanions. It requires strong willpower to rid oneself of a tulpa.


    "So, does that mean... I am actually the ghost in our family of three?"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, attempting to unveil the truth behind the entire dungeon.


    His sister was an only child, yet she was betrayed by her biological parents.


    Since he didn''t actually exist, it was reflected in his sister''s diary that he died in a car ident.


    Under the hands of her adoptive parents, she suffered various abuses and beatings, likely due to her adoptive mother discovering her special talent - the ability to create something out of nothing.


    His sister conversed with the image of him in her mind, urging him to save her.


    During this process, he, who didn''t exist in reality, gained self-awareness and the potential to affect reality.


    His sister ced him in her deepest dream realm - the Huan Dao Town, where the four of them - their parents, him, and his sister - lived happily.


    However, their adoptive parents refused to ept the elder brother''s presence.


    Once the elder brother discovers his sister''s real existence, he would naturally try to awaken her, and the power of her dream realm would disappear.


    So, how could they make him sessfully die?


    His sister needed to acknowledge in her consciousness that he had died, only then could he bepletely eliminated; otherwise, she would continue to create new versions of him indefinitely.


    As a result, the cat and rat couple had no choice but to use her Weird power to kill him!

 Chapter 94: Arrest Operation

    <h4>Chapter 94: Arrest Operation</h4>


    Gu Yi found the blurry contract from his backpack, and after he put on the mask, the writing on the contract became clear.


    <i>[Ss Dark Moon''s Trading Contract]</i>


    <i>[The contractor will gain the abilities of the Dark Moon Circus clown, at the cost of their lifespan. After the contract is established, the contractor will only have seven days left to live.]</i>


    <i>[Contractor: Gu Yi]</i>


    "I see, no wonder this instance is so time-constrained.


    The whole world exists relying on my sister''s power. She created me to save her, to wake her up from her slumber. And our parents, the cat and rat, and all the residents of Huan Dao Town rely on her dream realm for their existence.


    Naturally, they don''t want me to awaken my sister, so our parents and the cat and rat will always try everything to kill me, and they can''t even wait for just seven days.


    If it weren''t for my sister''s subconscious protecting and guiding me to find clues, I''m afraid I would have been gone long ago."


    He instinctively reached out into his pocket and indeed took out a balloon. He skillfully blew the balloon and folded it into the shape of a balloon sword.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    Gu Yi held the sword and swung it towards the chair.


    The chair instantly shattered into pieces.


    Excitedly, Gu Yi clenched his fist and noticed that his pants suddenly felt heavier. He reached into his pocket and found various strange props inside, including a piece of paper with rules written on it.


    <i>[Instructions for Using the Clown Mask]</i>


    <i>[1. Never talk.]</i>


    <i>[2. Always maintain a smile.]</i>


    <i>[3. Always have an audience.]</i>


    <i>[4. Always remember: No matter how sad or wronged you feel, save your tears for after the curtain falls.]</i>


    ...


    Back in the real world.


    Qu Kangping, along with the strategy team and the police, arrived at their destination.


    This ce was called Huang Jia Town, a seaside town where all the residents made a living by fishing.


    Three or four years ago, Huang Jia Town encountered a mysterious phenomenon, and the whole town was enveloped in thick fog. Without a local resident to guide you, you would be trapped in an endless maze until you starved to death in the fog.


    Today.


    The once calm town was no longer peaceful.


    With the guidance of the local resident, the police stormed into the town and arrested nearly twenty key suspects overnight.


    Their entire n was suspected of human trafficking, smuggling, drug manufacturing, and trafficking. They were notorious criminals. The fog surrounding the town acted as a natural barrier protecting them. Without the Dragon Country Strategy Team''s involvement, it would have been nearly impossible to find evidence against these people.


    "Everyone surrender yourselves!"


    "What did I do?"


    "What did you do? Don''t you know what you''ve done? Come with us!"


    "How can you police just arrest people at will?"


    "Brothers, get your weapons and fight back!"


    "Don''t let them leave the town!"


    Seeing their members being arrested, all the town''s residents took out their weapons. Some had harpoons, some had kitchen knives, and there were even vigers with homemade spears.


    They blocked the town''s only exit, trying to resist.


    The vige had nearly a thousand residents, while the police team was less than a hundred.


    Chief Hu Chang stepped forward, picked up a loudspeaker, and shouted, "You are now suspected of obstructing official duties. I''ll give you three chances to clear the road immediately, or else..."


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A gunshot rang out.


    Chief Hu Chang was startled, almost losing his hat. He instinctively hid behind the police car, thinking that a viger from the other side had fired the shot.


    But when he looked up, he found that the viger holding the homemade spear had been shot in the head.


    "In the era of weird powers causing chaos, the fundamental principle is to ensure the smooth clearance of adventurers in ''Weird World''," Qu Kangping''s gun emitted smoke. "Now you are suspected of endangering the lives of adventurers. ording to thew, we can shoot on sight. If you don''t want to die, then keeping!"


    The crowd hesitated for a moment, then raised their weapons and charged.


    Qu Kangping''s subordinates quickly loaded their guns and fired without hesitation.


    The police, now aware of the situation, took out tear gas and stun guns.


    In just a few minutes, the unruly crowd was suppressed.


    Chief Hu Chang wiped the sweat from his forehead, roughly estimating that Qu Kangping alone had killed 20 residents.


    "Team Leader Qu, why did you kill so many people all at once?"


    "Is there a problem?" Qu Kangping put away his gun and didn''t even look at Hu Chang. "These people deserved to die, and I would never kill the wrong person."


    "Um... but how am I supposed to write about these things in the report?"


    "You can write however you want."


    "But, were those legal provisions you mentioned earlier real?"


    "Of course not, I made them up." Qu Kangping lit a cigarette. "I just didn''t want to waste time on these useless people. Sometimes, special situations require special handling. Those above will understand."


    "Ah? Team Leader... Team Leader, wait!"


    Hu Chang looked anxious as he watched Qu Kangping.


    But Qu Kangping didn''t pay him any attention and walked straight toward the center of the vige.


    As a former adventurer, Qu Kangping''s intuition and mental power far exceeded that of an ordinary person. He had a faint feeling that there might be some Weird items in the center of the town. He loaded a fresh magazine and continued forward with Ah Jian.


    "Team Leader, I think it might be the old house up ahead."


    "Yeah, I think so too."


    Qu Kangping arrived at the front of the old house and climbed over the fence.


    Suddenly, a cold wind blew, causing Qu Kangping to step back three steps.


    Ah Jian quickly stepped forward and shielded Qu Kangping.


    "Team Leader, is it a ghost?"


    "Don''t be afraid, the ghosts here are gone. I can''t sense their presence anymore."


    Qu Kangping pushed the door and entered.


    The old house was in a dpidated state, with a strong smell of decay everywhere.


    Qu Kangping climbed the stairs, driven by intuition, and reached the third floor.


    On the third-floor corridor, a ck cat was gently licking arge rat, and the rat had its belly exposed, squinting its eyes in enjoyment.


    Qu Kangping closed his eyes and shook his head, and the weird cat and rat disappeared immediately.


    "Team Leader, what''s wrong with you?"


    "I saw some illusions."


    "Is it mental contamination?"


    "No, it''s my intuition giving me hints." Qu Kangping closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. "A nest of cat and rat? Hmph... I understand now. When we get back, immediately assign people to investigate the leaders in the city. No one can escape the punishment of thew."


    "Understood."


    Qu Kangping pushed open the door to the third-floor room.


    A man wearing a clown mask was staring at him slyly, and Qu Kangping instinctively raised his gun, only to realize that the clown was also an illusion.


    "Damn it... why do these things keep happening today?"


    "Team Leader, are you okay?"


    "I haven''t lost control of my intuition for a long time, but today I''ve had two consecutive hallucinations. Just now, I saw a clown appear here."


    Qu Kangping shook his head and walked to where the clown disappeared.


    There was a yellowed drawing paper on the floor, covered in dust.


    He gently blew away the floating dust.


    It was a child''s drawing, depicting a family of four.


    Father, mother, brother, and sister.


    Ah Jian squatted beside Qu Kangping and also saw the drawing. His eyes widened when he noticed that the brother in the drawing was slowly fading away.


    "Team Leader, what is this..."


    "This is what Gu Yi mentioned, the weird world and the real world have a mapping rtionship, right?"


    The child''s drawing gradually faded until it finally turned into a heap of ck ashes.

 Chapter 95: Mysterious Clown (1)

    <h4>Chapter 95: Mysterious Clown (1)</h4>


    "Young Man, we''ve arrived at the destination."


    The passenger didn''t say anything, just handed the driver 500 yuan.


    "Wait a moment, let me get your change."


    The passenger patted the driver''s shoulder.


    "Y-Young man?"


    The driver looked at the passenger in surprise.


    When the passenger got into the car, he was wearing a clown mask and had written the destination on a piece of paper.


    The driver assumed the passenger couldn''t speak and didn''t engage in any conversation.


    As soon as the car started, the clown passenger fell asleep inside, and the driver focused on driving, not paying much attention to him.


    To the driver''s surprise, after arriving at the destination, the passenger''s appearance changed drastically. The clown mask seemed like it was now part of his face, and his clothes transformed into colorful clown attire, making him look extremely peculiar.


    "You... you..."


    The clown turned his face, revealing a smile, and took out a rose from his pocket, handing it to the driver.


    "Huh?"


    The driver received the flower, looking utterly puzzled.


    Gu Yi walked on the street, his face always wearing a smile.


    The clown maskpletely fused with him overnight, and no matter what he did, he couldn''t take the mask off again.


    Last night, he spent the whole night deducing in the taxi, but he always failed at the crucial moment.


    With the power of the clown, Gu Yi could almost ignore Miss Cat and all the weird creatures, sessfully destroying the giant tree. However, when confronting his sister in the end, the deduction always failed to progress.


    Gu Yi have to find a method to resolve his sister''s inner conflict by himself; there was no way to skip it with deductions.


    Gu Yi took out his phone.


    [12 hours and 34 minutes.]


    The countdown had only twelve hours left.


    His sister''s final diary entry was also sessfully unlocked.


    <i>[May 17, 2021, Windy]</i>


    <i>[After waking up, I found a red mass by my bedside. It kept twisting and deforming like a terrifying monster.]</i>


    <i>[It rushed towards me, and I screamed in fear.]</i>


    <i>[Mom came into my room, and I told her there was a monster on my bed.]</i>


    <i>[Mom told me that it was all fake, and I just needed to sleep well.]</i>


    <i>[I''m really scared.]</i>


    <i>[What is that thing?]</i>


    <i>[Could that thing be my brother?]</i>


    This diary entry probably describes the process of the sister creating her elder brother.


    This diary entry roughly describes the process of the younger sister creating her older brother. The twisted mass of flesh became her brother on the next day, that is May 18, which is why she is so afraid of him and asks him what "he" was.


    Gu Yi took out a selfie stick, set up his phone, and connected to a live streaming website.


    The third rule to use the clown mask: <i>Always have an audience.</i>


    He decided to live stream the whole process. The viewers were surprised to see a clown-themed broadcast.


    "Wow, a clown live stream?"


    "Which circus does the streamer belong to?"


    "Why isn''t the streamer talking?"


    Gu Yi smiled mysteriously at the phone camera, putting his index finger to his lips to indicate silence. He then exaggeratedly put his hand into his pants, drawing attention from the audience.


    "Is this something I can see?"


    "Showing a big treasure"


    "What''s he doing?"


    Gu Yi took out a two-meter-high mahagony door from his pants, and with a loud crash, he ced the door on the ground. Heically ran around and struggled for a while before finally stabilizing the door.


    The live chat was filled with question marks.


    "Special effects?"


    "Is he a clown or a magician?"


    "Is this really live? It''s not edited footage?"


    "It''s live! I saw it with my own eyes. Hey guys, can you see me in the stream?"


    A viewer rushed into the frame, waving at everyone.


    Gu Yi noticed and waved like him, smiling at the camera.


    The live chat was filled with disbelief.


    "Nah, this must be staged, right?"


    "I''ve never seen such a script before, it''s really interesting."


    "It''s definitely edited footage!"


    <i>Squeak¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi didn''t bother to exin anything to the live chat. He held up his phone, aimed the camera at the mahagony door, and smiled as he opened it.


    Outside the door was a scorched earth.


    Upon closer inspection, it was clearly the city''s southern dock, where a big fire broke out two nights ago, and the firefighters had been battled it for a day and night.


    At this moment, TV reporters were still on-site, conducting interviews.


    Gu Yi moved to the back of their camera while holding up his phone, making exaggerated funny faces.


    "Fuck? Isn''t that a TV reporter?"


    "The clown is really at the scene, on live TV!"


    "Is this guy really a magician?"


    Gu Yi''s live stream was suddenly flooded with arge number of viewers, and the barragepletely covered his face.


    Gu Yi burst intoughter.


    The admiration of the viewers filled him with power.


    No wonder the rules of the clown mentioned that he must have an audience. The more people admired and liked him, the more weird powers he could use.


    The cameraman and the reporters obviously noticed Gu Yi causing trouble, and they all turned their heads away.


    Gu Yi once again reached into his pants, and after some exaggerated fumbling, he pulled out a hemp rope as thick as an arm.


    The reporter, holding the microphone, forgot about the interview and just stared nkly at Gu Yi.


    "Why can he pull out such a big thing from his pants?"


    "I have no idea."


    Gu Yi kept an exaggerated smile on his face, squatting on the ground and tying the hemp rope into asso. He swung the rope like a cowboy, creating a whirlwind.


    "Wow!"


    The female reporter lost her footing and was blown away by the whirlwind.


    The cameraman, beingrger in size, quickly reached out and pulled the female reporter behind the adjacent shipping container as the whirlwind continued.


    The container shook vigorously from the impact of the whirlwind.


    The reporter and the cameraman exchanged nces.


    "It''s a monster! Let''s get out of here!"


    "Run? Run where? This is such a great news story! We''ll be famous if we report this!"


    "You can''t even stand steadily, what can you report?!"


    "Well, you can stand, right? Film it for me first, we''re live now, what a great opportunity!"


    The reporter promptly pushed the cameraman out.


    Stabilizing himself, the cameraman aimed the camera at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi''s exaggeratedughter echoed throughout the dock as he forcefully threw the hemp rope towards thergest shipping container in the middle of the dock.


    <i>nk!</i>


    Thesso caught the container.


    Gu Yi gave it a strong tug.


    The massive container was lifted off the ground and casually thrown into the sea.


    The waves surged, sshing onto the dock like pouring rain.


    The reporter''s hair and clothes were drenched, but she excitedly stood in front of the camera, holding the microphone, and exined the situation to all the viewers.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m currently at the city''s southern dock, and we''ve encountered a superhuman here! He''s incredibly strong, possessing all sorts of magical abilities, just like a character from a movie. He''s like¡ªah!"


    The reporter''s words were cut short as she suddenly felt her feet leaving the ground.


    She turned her head and saw that Gu Yi was holding her with one hand and the cameraman with the other, and they were now standing where the shipping container had been before.


    There was a straight downward staircase.


    Even though it was daytime, the bottom was pitch-ck, sending shivers down their spines.


    "You..."


    Gu Yi grinned and handed his selfie stick to the reporter, nodding gently.


    The reporter looked down and realized that Gu Yi was live-streaming with his phone.


    At this moment, the barrage had be a chaotic mess, with a dense array of messages making it hard to distinguish what everyone was saying.


    "Are you asking me to film for you?"


    Gu Yi nodded and gave a brilliant smile.

 Chapter 96: Mysterious Clown (2)

    <h4>Chapter 96: Mysterious Clown (2)</h4>


    The reporter followed closely behind Gu Yi, and the cameraman was not idle either. Carrying the camera, he followed them.


    "Hello, can you tell me your name?"


    The reporter held Gu Yi''s mobile phone in one hand and a microphone in the other.


    Gu Yi turned his head, the corner of his mouth almost reaching his temples.


    The reporter''s legs went weak with fear. She had never seen such a creepy smile.


    Gu Yi ced a finger on his lips and shook his head.


    "Can''t you speak?"


    "Hehehe..."


    Gu Yi chuckled weirdly and continued walking.


    The cameraman, having a better intuition than the reporter, vaguely felt that there might be something ominous below.


    "Maybe... we shouldn''t go down? I feel like there''s a monster in there."


    "Are you even a man? Follow me!"


    The reporter didn''t care much and quickly followed Gu Yi, her mind filled with thoughts of reporting big news and not considering the danger.


    The cameraman had no choice but to follow the reporter.


    The three of them came to a huge st-proof door. Gu Yi looked aroundically.


    "Mr. Clown, what''s behind this door?"


    Ignoring the reporter''s question, Gu Yi once again reached into his trousers.


    The reporter awkwardly looked away and focused on the phone screen.


    "Stupid woman, you''re blocking the view!"


    "Don''t block our view of the clown."


    "What treasure is he going to pull out this time?"


    "This is a st-proof door. It can''t be opened without an ess card. What is he trying to do?"


    The screen was flooded withments.


    The reporter nced at the number of online viewers. There were already more than 50 million, and every minute, another million would join. The broadcast had only been live for less than ten minutes, but the clown''s channel had already topped the poprity charts.


    The technical team of the streaming website was stunned. They had never seen such an overwhelming data flow.


    At this moment, the staff of the website were discussing the clown''s broadcast intensely.


    "Holy crap, does this clown actually have superpowers?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous; there are no superpowers in this world," said the head of the technical team. "Higher authorities are asking to shut down this broadcast, iming it promotes feudal superstitions."


    <i>Zzzz----</i>


    But despite their attempts, the broadcast wasn''t shut down and instead surged in poprity.


    "Boss, it seems our site has been hijacked by hackers."


    "Boss, same here!"


    "Even restarting the server is useless. All broadcast rooms are now automatically broadcasting the clown."


    "What the heck?"


    Everyone turned to the screen.


    The clown chuckled sinisterly and pulled out an intable hammer from his trousers, which was as tall as two people and had "100t" written on it.


    The hammer wobbled, looking very light.


    "Hehehe..."


    Gu Yi chuckled weirdly and lifted the seemingly lightweight intable hammer.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The hammer mmed into the st-proof door.


    Both the reporter and the cameraman instinctively covered their ears and opened their mouths in shock.


    With a thunderous noise, the st-proof door shattered into eight pieces in the blink of an eye, and the intable hammer drooped down.


    Gu Yi turned his head to look at the two people behind him.


    The cameraman, paralyzed by fear, had shattered the lens of his camera.


    The reporter, shaking and trembling, managed to stand up only with the support of the wall, holding up the phone.


    The barrage ofments in the live broadcast went wild again, covering the entire screen.


    However, Gu Yi''s clown image eerily floated above thements. The streaming website didn''t have a feature to detect and position of human figures, so it was impossible for anyone to float above thements.


    <i>¡ª The clown was using his weird abilities to alter the rules of the livestream.</i>


    Gu Yi continued smiling, gesturing for the reporter toe closer with a beckoning finger.


    The reporter and the cameraman, deeply captivated by him, followed without hesitation.


    <i>Da da da--</i>


    Gu Yi''srge leather shoes hit the corridor floor, producing rhythmic footsteps.


    Suddenly, the reporter felt goosebumps all over her body. When she looked up, she saw several strange-looking people at the end of the corridor. They stared nkly with dead, lifeless eyes, resembling zombies.


    "Zo... zombies?"


    For some reason, the reporter was reminded of the zombies from horror movies.


    The zombies roared and charged forward, many of them even armed with handguns.


    "Hide, quickly!"


    The cameraman quickly pulled the reporter back, shielding her with his body.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Gunshots echoed in the narrow corridor. The cameraman could even feel the vibrations from bullets ricocheting off the floor and walls.


    No one knew how long the gunfightsted.


    Turning slowly, the cameraman found the entire corridor stained red.


    The corpses of zombies had transformed into pixted blocks of varying colors. The clown, however, still stood motionless, making a gun shape with his right hand, and bizarrely mimicking gun sounds with "biu biu biu". The scene was surreal.


    "Hehehe..."


    Gu Yiughed eerily, snapping the dazed cameraman and reporter back to reality.


    "What were those things?"


    Instead of speaking, Gu Yi imitated wolf howls and dog barks, pulling terrifying faces.


    "You mean... they were wolf-hearted people?"


    "Hehehe..."


    Gu Yi nodded, giving a thumbs-up, and continued to venture deeper into the corridor.


    The reporter continued to hold the phone up.


    At the end of the corridor were two signs: one pointing to the "Living Area" and the other to the "Breeding Area."


    Gu Yi tapped the sign for the "Breeding Area", his smile a tad stiff. He then turned around, took out two balloons from his pocket, and made them into crowns which he ced on the heads of the reporter and cameraman.


    "What''s this for?"


    Gu Yi put his hands together and bowed slightly with a smile.


    The reporter touched the crown on her head, "You mean, this is for our protection?"


    Gu Yi nodded, mimicking the act of filming with a camera.


    Holding up the phone, the reporter nodded determinedly, "Rest assured, I will capture every move of yours."


    For some reason, even though Gu Yi hadn''t spoken a word, the reporter could always urately understand his intentions. There was a unique charm about him, making people trust and rely on him involuntarily.


    The closer they got to the "Breeding Area", the more anxious the reporter felt. Whenever she shivered, the crown on her head would warm slightly, dispelling her mental difort.


    After about ten minutes, Gu Yi finally halted.


    The reporter turned her phone, aiming the camera at a grotesque and bloody hall.


    Even though she had mentally prepared herself, the sight of the ghastly and cruel scene made her retch uncontrobly.


    <i>Thud¡ª</i>


    The phone in her hand fell to the ground.


    The shaky cameraman picked up the phone and refocused the lens on the women and children who were being used as fertilizer.


    "Everyone, I''ve been a journalist for decades. I once investigated a child trafficking case, and I''ve always remembered the faces of those abducted children.


    I''m sure of it; that girl over there with braids is Tong Tong, who went missingst month. It seems all the missing children from across the country have been brought here to be offerings for a devil.


    I can''t... believe it."

 Chapter 97: Mysterious Clown (3)

    <h4>Chapter 97: Mysterious Clown (3)</h4>


    The barrage ofments suddenly fell silent.


    The scene in front of thempletely overturned everyone''s worldview. They had never witnessed such a bizarre and malevolent sight.


    "What is this ce? Hell?"


    "Why is there something like this under our city?"


    "Can someone tell me this is just an illusion?"


    "I see my daughter there!"


    The barrage ofments resurfaced, covering up the terrifying scene, leaving only the lonely silhouette of Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi turned to the camera, bowing slightly. Then he took out a balloon from his pocket and skillfully crafted it into a Thompson submachine gun.


    <i>"Beep beep beep¡ª"</i>


    With a whistle in his mouth, Gu Yi blew it rapidly, mimicking the sound of machine-gun fire.


    The balloon gun''s muzzle spewed like mes, and in no time, it pierced through the entangled bony branches overhead.


    The branches iled wildly in the air, spraying a mixture of red and white fluid.


    Gu Yi blew his whistle again, and the fluids turned into fireworks in mid-air. The cameraman immediately aimed the lens at the beds, where the children all wore happy smiles as if they had just experienced a beautiful dream.


    "That clown is helping these children pass on."


    "The pain on the children''s faces has disappeared."


    "He''s a superhero fighting against the devil!"


    <i>Beep¡ª</i>


    The whistle sounded again.


    The cameraman, supporting the reporter, approached Gu Yi. "Hero, do you have any instructions?"


    Gu Yi patted both of their shoulders and then pointed to his own.


    "Uh? What are you trying to say?"


    Gu Yi rolled his eyes.


    The reporter, turning pale, tentatively asked, "You want us to grab onto your shoulders, right?"


    Gu Yi nodded frantically.


    The cameraman looked at the reporter in amazement. "How did you understand that?"


    "Talent?"


    The two, one on each side, leaned on Gu Yi''s shoulders.


    Gu Yi took off the strap from his shoulder and, with a whoosh, threw it onto the ceiling.


    The strap stuck to the ceiling, taut like a rubber band. Gu Yi held the reporter and the cameraman on each side and blew his whistle forcefully.


    <i>"Beep¡ª"</i>


    The strap contracted instantly.


    Like stonesunched from a slingshot, the three of them shot upward, breaking through the ceiling.


    The reporter screamed with his eyes shut, only hearing the rushing wind by her ears.


    "Open your eyes and look!"


    "No!"


    Although the reporter protested, she instinctively opened her eyes.


    The eyeball fruits on the big tree were all staring at them. At the top of the canopy, there were many goat-headed creatures, ring menacingly at the trio.


    Their momentum was fading, and they were still three to four meters away from the top.


    <i>"Beep!"</i>


    Gu Yi nced at the cameraman, who understood the cue and wrapped his arms around Gu Yi''s neck.


    Now with his hands free, Gu Yi pulled out a whip and threw it with a swoosh.


    The whip wrapped around a tree limb, pulling all three to the top.


    "Oh my god," the cameraman, lying on the tree canopy and looking down at the deep pit below, said, still in shock. "This is even more thrilling than filming a movie."


    "Quickly, start recording from your phone!"


    "Oh!"


    The cameraman hurriedly raised his phone''s camera.


    With his back to the lens, Gu Yi bowed to the countless goat-headed creatures. He then swung his whip forcefully, as if wanting to even tear the wind apart. The creatures let out painful cries and transformed into pixted blocks the size of fists.


    "Where did all these monsterse from?"


    "Who knows?"


    "You two, hurry up and follow him! I want to see how the clown will deal with those monsters!"


    The barrage ofments was furious, urging the reporter and cameraman to move forward.


    However, Gu Yi moved too quickly, and the two were trailing behind, drenched in sweat.


    "Mr. Clown, can you... slow down..."


    "Yes... we can hardly..."


    Both the reporter and the cameraman stopped speaking.


    The cameraman''s hands trembled, forgetting he was still holding the phone to record.


    The sight before him was unforgettable.


    A gigantic ck cat appeared in front of him, its single leg was longer than thebined height of the three of them.


    "Meow~" The ck cat spoke, "Gu Yi, do you think you''re invincible? This world belongs to Gu Yao. As long as I control this tree, you''ll never be able to kill me!"


    Gu Yi tilted his head, making a gun gesture toward the ck cat.


    The cat shrieked and lunged at Gu Yi with its ws.


    Blue lightning emanated from the tips of the cat''s ws, and from a distance, almost shattering the cameraman''s phone. The balloon crowns above their heads also burst, turning into fireworks and dissipating.


    "What are you waiting for? Record it with your phone!"


    "Oh, right." The cameraman, snapping out of his daze, lifted his phone again. "Clown, dodge it!"


    The cat''s w hovered over Gu Yi''s head and suddenly stopped.


    Gu Yi slowly raised his right hand, puckering his lips and squinting his left eye.


    <i>"Biu!"</i>


    Mimicking the sound of a gunshot from his mouth.


    Before the echo faded.


    The ck cat howled in pain, turning into giant pixel blocks.


    "Was it that easy?"


    "Damn, such a huge monster, and it died just like that?"


    "This clown is so powerful!"


    Thements were full of admiration.


    The cameraman and the reporter dodged continuously, avoiding the falling pixel blocks.


    Gu Yi tilted his head slightly, avoiding thergest ck pixel. He climbed up the tree trunk to the top of the canopy.


    Without Gu Yi''s help, the reporter and cameraman could only stand below, holding up their phones.


    Gu Yi approached his sleeping sister.


    There was an air barrier around her. He tapped on it gently, revealing a kind smile.


    Suddenly, Gu Yi felt the power within him rapidly depleting. Turning his head, he saw the reporter and cameraman frozen in ce, as if a pause button had been pressed.


    Gu Yi snapped his fingers, and the phone in the cameraman''s hand immediately flew into his hand.


    The countdown had stopped.


    Frozen at [99:99:99].


    Closing his eyes, Gu Yi attempted to use his talent, but he saw nothing but void.


    <i>¡ª Now was the crucial moment.</i>


    Gu Yi clenched his fist, pounding the air barrier in front of him until his fist bled, shattering the wall. He then gently touched his sister''s face.


    She opened her eyes, staring nkly at Gu Yi.


    <i>Squeak¡ª¡ª</i>


    A screeching sound echoed in Gu Yi''s ears, followed by a tidal wave rushing towards him from the void. Gu Yi''s clown mask began to loosen, and cracks appeared on its surface. He held onto it, preventing it from falling off.


    A golden light shed.


    Unable to bear it, Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    <i>"You little bitch, when you grow up, you should sell yourself. At least then you''ll earn some money for your parents. Raising you is a total waste!"</i>


    Reopening his eyes, Gu Yi saw a woman berating someone, pointing at the nose. It was then that he realized ¡ª he was inside his sister''s memories.

 Chapter 98: Little Sister’s Memories

    <h4>Chapter 98: Little Sister''s Memories</h4>


    <strong>(The narration in this chapter is from the sister''s perspective.)</strong>


    ----------


    I identally shattered a bowl, and Mom yanked my ear as if pulling a raggedy sack.


    She pointed at my nose and loudly scolded so that the entire vige could hear, "You little bitch, you should just go out and sell yourself when you grow up. That way, at least you could earn some money for your damned parents. Feeding you is just a waste of money!"


    I didn¡¯t cry, I just kept smiling.


    My brother once told me, that as long as you keep smiling, all the pain will disappear.


    Mom continued hitting me until my nose bled. She said she despised the way I looked when I smiled, saying I looked just like a cunning vixen.


    ...


    Dad came home, and he was going to makemb for us again.


    I despise the strong smell ofmb, but Dad always insists on making it. While Mom and Dad enjoyed it, I¡¯d chew a little and then secretly spit it into my sleeve.


    This time, Dad caught me spitting out themb.


    He took a rattan whip and whipped me with it until it broke.


    He called me an ungrateful child who didn''t cherish food and only knew nothing but lies. Just like Mom said, raising me was a waste of money.


    I saw my brother, standing in the corner, looking at me with pained eyes. He wanted to help, but he was too frail and couldn¡¯t stand up to Dad.


    ...


    I envied the other children because they could go to the zoo or amusement parks with their parents.


    What I looked forward to the most every month was visiting Grandma''s house.


    Grandma was very kind to me. She even took me to a circus.


    At the circus, I met an uncle named Dark Moon, who was almost my height.


    During a mini-game, I won the first prize. Uncle Dark Moon told me he could grant me a wish. I wished for my brother to always be with me.


    Uncle Dark Moon said he couldn''t do that; he couldn''t make something nonexistent be real.


    I didn''t understand what he meant.


    Uncle Dark Moon gave me a potted nt, saying that even if the Dark Moon Circus couldn¡¯t grant my wish, they wouldn''t let me leave empty-handed.


    ...


    When I got home, I found Mom and Dad berating Grandma, ming her for losing me.


    I approached them, showing off the potted nt, and told them about my trip to the circus.


    Dad: Are you daydreaming again?


    Mom: What potted nt? What circus? You only know how to lie!


    Dad: If you run around again, I''ll kill you!


    Enraged, Mom and Dad began to violentlysh out at me, with one wielding a cane and the other a stool.


    Grandma shielded me with her body and tragically, Dad identally dealt a fatal blow to her head.


    ...


    Later, Grandma was admitted to the hospital. Mom and Dad wouldn''t let me visit her. But secretly, my brother and I sneaked in to see her.


    I told Grandma about my experience at the circus.


    After seeing my brother and me, Grandma was delighted. Perhaps due to her old age, she could never spot my brother unless I held her hand to show her where he was.


    ...


    One day after school, I saw an older sister running out, chased by a group of adults.


    Some rode motorcycles, some drove cars, and some were on foot.


    They surrounded the older sister,shing her with whips. She cried terribly but continued to try to escape.


    The man from across the street grabbed her hair, cursing loudly, "You wretch, when I invited you to my home, it wasn¡¯t for free meals. If you don¡¯t bear me a son, you''re not leaving."


    All the older sister could do was cry, just cry.


    The harder she cried, the more they beat her.


    Finally, the older sistery motionless on the ground.


    The adults dragged her to a small grove behind the school. I watched as they dug a hole under a por tree and buried her.


    She had been beaten to death by them.


    I held my brother and cried for a long time.


    ...


    I fell ill.


    My head ached severely, and I felt as though someone was drilling into my brain.


    My parents didn¡¯t want me hospitalized, saying they would take me to two doctors instead.


    These two doctors were a man and a woman.


    The man looked like a rat, and the woman looked like a cat.


    They took me away and said I might never return.


    I asked, "Why?"


    They replied, "To get better, this is what must be done."


    Suddenly, I felt a mix of happiness and reluctance.


    Happy because I wouldn''t have to live with my parents anymore, but reluctant because I might never see Grandma again.


    I asked, "Can I bring my brother with me?"


    They responded, "You don''t have a brother."


    I was perplexed. <i>My brother was clearly by my side. How could they not see him?</i>


    ...


    The two doctors took me to live in the city, asking me to call them Mom and Dad.


    I refused.


    They didn¡¯t push further but still fed me and let me live in their house. However, they always subjected me to weird "training", which caused my health to deteriorate even further.


    My head is hurting more and more.


    I spoke to the potted nt, telling it that I wanted to drink almond water.


    When I turned around, indeed, a bottle of almond water appeared on my bedside table.


    I realized that this potted nt possessed the power to grant wishes.


    The nt told me that to relieve my headache, there would be a price to pay. If you didn''t want to pay the price, then your mother would.


    I hesitated.


    My brother emerged to stop me, saying that this was all the devil''s trickery.


    I nodded in agreement.


    Behind my brother''s back, I still made a wish to the nt.


    Sure enough, my headache was gone.


    ...


    On this day, my new mom found me.


    She told me that my old mom had a terminal illness and would soon die.


    I couldn''t understand why.


    She said, "You are a special person, the most powerful in this world. You can create a world of your own."


    I still didn''t understand.


    She added, "Don''t you want your brother to always be with you? Alright, let''s make a deal. You grant your father and me power beyond human capabilities, and I''ll ensure that you and your brother are together forever."


    ...


    <i>Did I fall asleep?</i>


    <i>I''m asleep again!</i>


    <i>I can''t wake up...</i>


    ...


    <i>Is this a dream?</i>


    <i>Yes, this is a dream, the most real dream.</i>


    ...


    It''s been nearly a year since our family of three moved to the new house.


    We settled in a high-end residential area.


    Though it''s not as fun as the countryside, I finally live in an apartment building.


    Mom and Dad still love to cookmb for me, but even if I don''t eat themb now, they no longer scold or hit me. They''ve be much gentler.


    Lately, I''ve been having dreams.


    I dreamt that I was lying in a pool of blood, with the cries of children constantly echoing in my ears.


    I was so scared.


    I wanted my brother to save me.


    I opened my eyes and found myself standing in the middle of the road.


    Arge truck was rushing towards me.


    My brother appeared just in time, pushing me to the side of the road, but his head was tragically crushed by the truck.


    ...


    <i>My brother was gone.</i>


    ...


    <i>My brother appeared again!</i>


    ...


    <i>My brother was gone.</i>


    ...


    <i>Brother...</i>


    ...


    <i>It seems... I never had a brother to begin with?</i>


    ...


    Hello there.


    I am a happy girl from a family of three.


    My dream is to have a brother who will always protect me. I hope he can always be with me.

 Chapter 99: Who Loves Her?

    <h4>Chapter 99: Who Loves Her?</h4>


    The thoughts gradually returned to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi shook his head, looking ahead.


    In the midst of emptiness, his younger sister was crouching in the corner, holding her knees, emitting soft sobs.


    Using his hands and feet, Gu Yi approached her. The clown mask on his face was slowly shattering¡ª even the clown mask couldn''t withstand the attack of the void for long.


    Gu Yi wanted to shout, but suddenly remembered the rules of using the mask: he couldn''t talk.


    He struggled to get to his sister''s side and lightly patted her shoulder.


    She slowly turned her head, her eyes empty, tears as dark as ink rolling down her cheeks.


    "It''s the clown... It''s the clown..."


    Gu Yi pointed to his own face.


    "Ah!"


    She suddenly opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream.


    The eardrums of Gu Yi were instantly ruptured, countless bone-like branches erupted from his sister''s chest, charging straight at him.


    Numerous cracks appeared on the clown mask, and he had to constantly hold it in ce.


    The weird power of his sister was too overpowering.


    There was no way tomunicate with her or reason with her. Even though he had found the most powerful props in the dungeon, he couldn''t contend with his sister''s weird powers.


    The resentment of his sister was beyond resolution.


    In their original family, she was constantly abused and beaten. After being sold, she was merely used by others.


    If it was Gu Yi, he too would surely fall, bing just as unspeakable as his sister.


    <i>Is there... no way out?</i>


    <i>Everyone in the real world, have you done what I entrusted you with?</i>


    <i>Creak, creak¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi''s mask began to shatter. A ck gloved hand appeared before him, pulling him out of the void.


    "Whoa!"


    The mask of Gu Yi broke into eight pieces, and he found himself sitting down on a chair, staring nkly at everything around him.


    This was the screening room he had visited before. The big screen was showing his confrontation with his sister in the void, the movie paused just before his mask shattered.


    "Gu Yi, you can''t survive," said a voice from behind.


    The host sat down next to Gu Yi, took out a bucket of popcorn, and started eating leisurely.


    "Don''t be stubborn," the host said with a smile, "My predictive power is a hundred, no, a thousand times stronger than yours. I can foresee millions of oues in an instant. No matter how youmunicate with your sister in the end, death is the only oue."


    Gu Yi remained silent.


    "I know you don''t believe me. Let me show you, and you will believe it."


    The host pulled out a remote control from his pocket and pressed the button.


    The screen shed with countless clips, all showing the various ways Gu Yi dies.


    Pierced in the heart by the branches.


    Crushed to mud by a tree trunk.


    Eyes gouged out by his sister.


    No matter how hard he tried, no matter how he pleaded, in the end, his sister would always kill Gu Yi.


    "What do you think? Have you given up hope?"


    Gu Yi leaned back in his chair like a heap of mud, "Hmm... The footage is well-made. I''ve never experienced death by eye-gouging. Might be interesting to try someday."


    The host paused, even he felt a chill.


    "Gu Yi, I know what you''re thinking. You''re worried about your family, right? It''s okay. As long as you join us and be a host, I can ensure that your parents will live luxuriously with endless life."


    "What exactly does a host do?"


    "He can be the master of a dungeon world," the host said with a smile. "The more people die in your dungeon, the stronger you be. The worlds you create be more dangerous, the rules moreplex. Eventually, you can achieve immortality."


    "Oh, I''m not interested."


    Unmoved, Gu Yi squinted, reaching into the host''s popcorn bucket to grab a piece of popcorn and pop it into his mouth.


    "What are you resisting so much?


    Do you really care about the survival of other humans? Who in this world is worth your desperate effort? Human nature is ugly and selfish. The story of this dungeon is the best illustration.


    Who caused the sister''s tragedy?


    It was her own parents¡ªthose who should''ve loved her most.


    Because she was a daughter, she was a liability in her parents'' eyes, fit only to be sold as amodity when she grew up.


    She was born in a town that thrived on human trafficking. Beneath the por forest outside of town, countless innocent bones were buried.


    When she fell ill, her parents didn''t care to treat her. In a bid to squeeze out herst ounce of value, they sold her.


    The only person who ever loved her, her grandmother, died in a hospital.


    The brother who cared for her only existed in her imagination.


    Did her parents love her?


    Did the world love her?


    Did fairness love her?


    Did justice love her?"


    <i>Crunch crunch-</i>


    The echo of Gu Yi chewing popcorn resonated throughout the screening room.


    The host grinned, cing the popcorn bucket on Gu Yi''sp.


    "Join us, and make humanity pay the price they deserve."


    <i>"Pff¡ª"</i>


    Gu Yi spat out the food.


    "You know what?


    You''re like a stone you bite into while eating popcorn, like a lukewarm c after a basketball game, like a mosquito bite on the sole of your foot, like an unachieved aplishment after clearing a game.


    Though none of these can harm you, they just make you ufortable."


    The colors on the host''s face continuously changed as he clenched his fist, trembling slightly.


    Gu Yi turned to face the host, revealing a brilliant smile.


    "What has allowed humans to survive until now is definitely not selfishness. It''s sharing, unity, sacrifice, dedication, and courage. It was such beliefs that are ingrained in our very bones.


    In primitive societies, if you didn''t share your food, yourrades would starve. And when faced with a dangerous beast, they wouldn''t be there to help you.


    When confronting terrifying natural disasters, humans form a protective wall for each other. Countless times we''ve built barriers with our own flesh and blood against raging floods and tsunamis.


    I''ve seen firefighters who sacrificed their lives to save others during a fire.


    I''ve seen volunteers who anonymously and selflessly helped disaster victims.


    And more importantly, I''ve seen countless fearless adventurers who refused to submit to the Gods and dared to challenge the unknown. They would rather die than bow to trash like you.


    This is the undying spirit passed down through our generations.


    We, the people of the Dragon country, neither believe in gods nor ept our fates. One day, we will annihte all the weirdness and eliminate these so-called Gods!"


    "How dare you!"


    The host stood up angrily from his chair, and Gu Yi did the same, hurling the popcorn into the host''s face.


    "In this dungeon, while you''ve seen the ugly side of humanity, I''ve seen its shining moments.


    Despite a miserable life full of torment, the sister always remained optimistic, believing that her brother would protect her.


    Even though she was just a girl, her grandmother never left her side, treating her as her dearest granddaughter. She''d even risk her own safety to protect her.


    Even if the brother was a non-existent ghost, he was still willing to give up his chance to be human, sacrificing his own life, just to awaken his sleeping sister, fulfilling a brother''s duty.


    And you?


    You''re just a traitor to humanity, to faith, to yourself. What right do you have to judge human nature here?"


    "Good... very good... You think you''re some hero! Keep ying your human hero act and get out!"


    The host clenched his fist,nding a punch on Gu Yi''s nose.


    Blood gushed from Gu Yi''s nose and stars danced before his eyes.


    When his vision cleared, his sister appeared before him once again.

 Chapter 100: Qu Kangping’s Fishing Technique

    <h4>Chapter 100: Qu Kangping''s Fishing Technique</h4>


    In the real world.


    Qu Kangping hurriedly left the old house and pulled out his phone to make a call.


    "Immediately gather all the bigwigs in the city... Oh, don¡¯t hold the meeting in the city. Have theme to Huang Jia Town to see me.


    Don''t negotiate or give me any excuses. Everyone muste to Huang Jia Town right away. This concerns the survival of our entire country, even the whole human race. What could be more important than this?


    I won¡¯t repeat myself.


    Immediately, right now."


    Qu Kangping hung up.


    Ah Jian looked at Qu Kangping, his expression unchanged. Having been with Qu Kangping for so long, he had grown ustomed to Qu Kangping''s decisive nature, no matter what he did he was always vigorous and resolute.


    Qu Kangping pulled out a cigarette, and Ah Jian immediately handed him a lighter.


    "Team leader, why the urgency this time? Didn¡¯t I already send someone to investigate?"


    <i>"Fuuu¡ª"</i> Qu Kangping exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Ah Jian, do you remember the talent I unlocked in the weird world?"


    "Hmm... it has something to do with enhanced intuition, right?"


    "An S-ss talent, the Eye of irvoyance. It helps enhance my intuition and passively avoid danger. By the time I reached the second dungeon, I had gained a new ability to turn this passive skill into an active one, creating illusions for weaker beings."


    "So..."


    "Ever since I left the weird world, I haven''t been able to use the Eye of irvoyance. My intuition became dull, only working in extremely dangerous situations.


    However, aftering to this old house, my intuition peaked once more. To my surprise, I could actively control my talent again.


    The weird power of this house allows you to use the skills learned in the weird world.


    Gu Yi was right; there is a mapping rtionship between the real world and the weird world. I briefly sensed Gu Yi when I was on the third floor.


    My intuition tells me that Gu Yi might be in grave danger. We don¡¯t have the time to slowly gather evidence and investigate bit by bit. We must act swiftly and apprehend all the culprits directly."


    Ah Jian clenched his teeth, voicing his concern.


    "Team leader, killing those vigers might be seen as self-defense, but if you kill officials without concrete evidence..."


    "I will bear all the consequences," Qu Kangping dered. "If I get dismissed because of this, then you take over my duties as team leader. After all, you were once an adventurer too."


    "Team leader..."


    "That¡¯s enough, there''s nothing more to discuss."


    Qu Kangping extinguished his cigarette, leaning against the fence of the old house, lost in thought.


    People often say that Qu Kangping is arrogant and domineering. But how many know of his deep hatred for the weird world, for the zealous followers of the Director, and for those who nder adventurers?


    Ah Jian had also ventured into the weird world.


    Having experienced the fear of facing its mysteries alone, Ah Jian understood Qu Kangping¡¯s sentiments even more ¨C he didn¡¯t want others to experience that same sense of despair.


    The weird world is ever-changing, and opportunities are fleeting. Ah Jian had to admit that while Qu Kangping''s current choice might not be legal, it is the most correct.


    Such actions would inevitably lead to baseless usations, endless misunderstandings, and even imprisonment.


    However,


    <i>They didn¡¯t have the energy to exin.</i>


    <i>They didn¡¯t have the time to exin.</i>


    <i>More so ever they felt no need to exin.</i>


    The sun had set.


    A bus parked in front of the old house. Hu Chang, leading a group of officials, approached Qu Kangping.


    "Team leader, everyone is here."


    Qu Kangping looked at the group, discarding the half-smoked cigarette from his hand.


    Hu Chang nced down and noticed that there were at least a dozen cigarette butts by Qu Kangping¡¯s feet.


    "Follow me inside."


    Qu Kangping waved and led everyone into the old house.


    Everyone pinched their noses in disgust as they entered the dpidated house.


    "It''s so dirty here."


    "Could there be any weird creatures inside?"


    "Why did you bring us to this ce?" a short man eximed, holding his nose. "It stinks, and I have other work to attend to."


    Qu Kangping raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"


    "Hey, we''re not adventurers. We''re just ordinary people."


    "Yeah, calling us to such a haunted ce at this time, it¡¯s damn unlucky..."


    <i>p! p!</i>


    Qu Kangping stepped forward, pping the two back-talkers.


    He had already used his Eye of irvoyance.


    In his eyes, both of these smart-mouthed guys were just blockheads. This meant reasoning with them was useless; only violent methods could make them submit.


    "I don¡¯t have time to exin. All of you, line up. I''m going to inspect each one of you."


    Qu Kangping, with his eyes wide open, walked in front of each official.


    Some emitted a golden aura, indicating they were upright and kind-hearted.


    Others radiated a blue glow, indicating they hated evil passionately.


    Yet some emitted a purple light, indicating their exceptional luck and fortune.


    After inspecting everyone, Qu Kangping was looking for the person emanating a red glow.


    A red glow signifies a multitude of sins and an intense murderous aura.


    Hu Chang leaned towards Qu Kangping, "Team leader, how is it?"


    "Didn''t find."


    "What?"


    "Then we''ll have to kill them all."


    "Eh? What are you talking about?"


    Qu Kangping beckoned to Ah Jian and drew a pistol from his coat.


    Before Hu Chang could draw his weapon, Qu Kangping shot him in the head.


    "Ahh!"


    "He''s killing!"


    "Ah Jian, block the door!"


    Ah Jian nodded and immediately stood by the entrance.


    With precise shots, Qu Kangping took the lives of everyone present.


    A woman at the back looked pale. She knelt, staring at Qu Kangping in terror.


    "Team leader Qu, I haven''t done anything. Please don''t kill me, okay?"


    Qu Kangping smirked, "You wretch, you''ve taken the bait, haven''t you?"


    "Eh?"


    She looked around. Everyone who was supposedly killed was now getting up from the ground, checking their wounds, which surprisingly didn''t bleed.


    <i>Qu Kangping''s murders were all an illusion!</i>


    The woman shook her head in disbelief, "What''s going on?"


    Qu Kangping, squinting with a smile, said:


    "Hmph, you''ve just gained your weird power, haven''t you? You don¡¯t understand its principles.


    You''ve researched my special ability in advance, so you deliberately hid your murderous intent, making me unable to detect the red glow from you.


    But by doing so, you also blocked my illusion from affecting you. In the illusion I cast, each of them believed they were the first to die, hence all of them fell at the same time.


    You were the only one left standing.


    You only thought of ying along when you saw others fall, but it was already toote.


    If I''m not mistaken, your earring can block weird powers, right?"


    With force, Qu Kangping ripped off the woman''s earring.


    Blood streamed from her earlobe.


    Under Qu Kangping''s Eye of irvoyance, the woman''s face morphed into a furry cat''s face, glowing in a blinding red light.

 Chapter 101: Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 101: Surrender</h4>


    "I once encountered a serial killer in the weird world. He brutally murdered 13 women, but even his red glow wasn''t as bright as yours! As a woman, why do you harbor such malevolence?"


    Furious, Qu Kangping pped the woman across the face.


    Yet, there was not a scratch on her face. Instead, Qu Kangping''s wrist ached as if he had struck steel.


    "Hee hee hee¡­" The woman chuckled, "A man hitting a woman, how impressive."


    In return, she pped Qu Kangping hard across his face.


    Stars shed before Qu Kangping''s eyes as he stumbled backward, falling to the ground.


    Everyone''s gaze shifted to the woman. Only to see whiskers growing from her face, slowly morphing into the features of a cat.


    "A...monster!"


    "Run!"


    The crowd screamed in unison, scattering in panic.


    The woman with her identity exposed, didn''t bother to keep up appearances. In a few swift moves, she dashed towards the entrance of the old house. Ah Jian and Hu Chang stood guard, one on each side.


    Ah Jian pulled a gun from his waist.


    "Forget it... Stop right there!"


    Hu Chang took out a megaphone, tossed it aside, and drew his gun out.


    "Stop right now!"


    "If you run, we''ll shoot!"


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Ah Jian and Hu Chang fired their weapons.


    The woman dodged with nimble agility, but Ah Jian''s marksmanship prevailed. A burst of blood blossomed from the woman''s leg, causing her to stumble and fall.


    The two men approached, their weapons aimed at the woman, ejecting their empty magazines.


    The woman''s blood poured out, quickly staining the ground red.


    "Brother, is she dead?"


    "Hold on, let me check."


    Ah Jian took out a container of salt from his pocket.


    This specially-made salt was the best weapon against weird beings. After taking down these creatures, one must sprinkle them with this salt topletely destroy or subdue them.


    Ah Jian approached the woman, only to see her head suddenly twist 180 degrees.


    Those profound cat-like eyes stared at Ah Jian, reminiscent of the stars in the sky.


    "Meow~ Am I pretty?"


    Holding the container of salt, Ah Jian was at a loss for what to do.


    Qu Kangping, leaning against a wall by the door, took out a gun from his pocket, aimed at Ah Jian, and pulled the trigger.


    "Ugh!"


    Ah Jian grunted, falling to the ground, and twitching uncontrobly.


    However, this act saved him from the woman''s mental assault. A few more seconds of eye contact and Ah Jian would have been reduced to an imbecile.


    The woman, covered in blood, got up, her eyes filled with resentment.


    "Mr. Qu, we have no grudges against each other. Was it necessary to go to such lengths?"


    "Less talking during a fight!"


    Qu Kangping drew his gun and aimed it at the woman, firing repeatedly.


    The bullets from the strategy team''s guns were special; they contained mercury. Once the bullet entered the body of a weird creature, the mercury would spread, causing significant harm.


    <i>--Especially to those humanoid weird beings.</i>


    "Meo!"


    The woman screamed, unleashing all her weird power.


    A sharp pain hit Qu Kangping''s head. He looked at his gun and couldn''t resist pointing it at his temple.


    Ah Jian, who was unconscious on the ground, remained unaffected by the mental assault.


    Hu Chang broke down, screaming and banging his head against the exterior wall of the old house, blood pouring from his wounds.


    "You brought this upon yourself! It was you who made me kill!"


    The woman sneered and turned to run out of the town.


    Qu Kangping yelled, aimed his gun at the sky, and emptied the magazine. His powerful mental strength helped him ovee the woman''s weird power.


    "Don''t run!"


    Qu Kangping swung his arms and chased after her.


    Now that he had identified the culprit, he couldn''t let her escape.


    Currently, Qu Kangping was unarmed, only a stun gun was left. However, this weapon was only effective against regr humans, and its efficacy against weird beings was limited.


    The woman stood at the entrance of the town, looking smugly at Qu Kangping.


    These humans couldn''t resist the thick fog outside the town, but the woman had been in and out of it countless times. She could leave on her own without any guidance.


    "Goodbye, Captain Qu."


    The woman waved her hand and took a step.


    <i>Sizzle sizzle sizzle¡ª¡ª</i>


    The stun gun hit the woman in the back, but she didn''t feel anything.


    "How ridiculous..."


    The woman continued to walk, but she suddenly felt her body go numb and her face was in extreme pain.


    <i>Crack crack¡ª¡ª</i>


    "Why... is this happening?"


    Her cat-like face turned into blocks of ck pixels and fell to the ground. The weird power was draining from her body like a receding tide.


    The stun gun worked and she stood stiffly in ce before copsing backward.


    "Ugh¡ª¡ª"


    The woman fell to the ground, twitching non-stop.


    Qu Kangping was stunned for a moment, then walked up to the woman holding the gun, only to see her foaming at the mouth and her eyes rolled back.


    Through his spiritual vision, Qu Kangping saw a dead ck cat lying next to the woman, indicating that all her weird powers had dissipated. He took out his phone and called his team.


    "Send more people here. I think I''ve got a key figure."


    "How''s the investigation going?"


    "The woman''s name is Ai Fei, the mayor of Huang Jia Town. She owns dozens of properties in the city, and her husband is a ringleader in human trafficking, whom we have also captured. Moreover, when we looked into her financial sources, it appears she might be involved in moneyundering.


    As for the source of her weird power, we''re still in the dark. However, two years ago, we found that she had adopted a girl named Xiao Ling from Huang Jia Town.


    Upon investigation, I found out that Xiao Ling was actually a trafficked child, and the ones who sold her were her own parents. Her mother died of lung cancer, and her father was burnt to death in a car ident.


    Xiao Ling''s body was covered in scars, likely from abuse.


    This girl''s fate has been extremely tragic.


    A year ago, Xiao Ling was diagnosed with lung cancer, but less than two monthster, it was dered a misdiagnosis.


    Sometimeter, she was diagnosed with brain cancer, with a tumor in her head the size of an egg. The doctors said she had no chance of recovery and probably wouldn''t live for another three months.


    However..."


    "However, this girl is still alive now?"


    "Exactly," Ah Jian nodded, "But she has been in a vegetative state, constantly sleeping, and never woke up."


    Hu Chang''s head was wrapped in bandages, Qu Kangping''s eyes were red and swollen, and apart from a headache, Ah Jian wasn''t injured at all.


    Qu Kangping nced at the report and pushed open the door to the ward.


    Xiao Lingy on the bed with a rigid expression, her eyes tightly closed.


    Ah Jian leaned in and whispered, "This girl has been in deep sleep and has never awakened. There doesn''t seem to be any weird power in her."


    "That''s not true."


    Qu Kangping said calmly.


    "I interrogated Ms. Ai yesterday. Her weird power originates from this child. As long as she waters Xiao Ling''s feet with arge amount of fresh human blood every day, Ai Fei can wield the weird power.


    However, as for the specific principle, even Ai Fei can''t exin. Perhaps only when Gu Yi returns to the real world can we understand everything."


    "What should we do next?"


    Qu Kangping looked at the sleeping girl and shook his head. He sat next to her and whispered, "The ones who harmed you, Uncle have captured them. They have paid the price they deserved. I promise you will not suffer anymore."


    Qu Kangping pulled back the curtains, letting a beam of sunlight shine on the girl''s face.

 Chapter 102: The Last Sweet Dream

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Last Sweet Dream</h4>


    In the Weird World.


    Inside the void.


    Gu Yi felt icy cold, and the mask on his face was about to fall off.


    His younger sister had hollow eyes, with pitch-ck tears streaming down her face. "It''s the clown... It''s the clown..."


    She repeated the same sentence, walking towards Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi straightened up and suddenly felt a warm beam of sunlight from behind. He turned his head and ran towards the light using his hands and feet.


    "Don''t run!"


    Bone-like branches pierced Gu Yi''s thigh.


    Gu Yi cried out in pain, touching the edge of the sunlight with his fingertips.


    The tides of the void receded in an instant, and Gu Yi once again entered his sister''s memories.


    ...


    "You little bitch, you should just go out and sell yourself when you grow up. That way, at least you could earn some money for your damned parents. Feeding you is just a waste of money!"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes to find himself viewing his sister''s memories from a third-person perspective.


    At this moment, his sister was being scolded and beaten by their mother.


    Gu Yi rushed forward, pushing away their mother.


    His sister looked at Gu Yi with a bewildered expression, seemingly unable to see her elder brother.


    "Don''t be afraid; I''m here with you."


    ...


    "Why won''t you eat themb meat?"


    "You''re still ying tricks!"


    "Why do you refuse to eat and even spit the meat into your sleeve?"


    "Liar!"


    Their father picked up a rattan whip and began tosh at the younger sister.


    Gu Yi put down his chopsticks, pushed away the pot ofmb meat, and smashed it on the floor.


    "If she doesn''t want to eat, she doesn''t have to! Why do you torment a child like this? If she doesn''t eat, you scold and hit her. Of course, she would hide it in her sleeve to avoid both. If one day she really bes a liar, it''s because of you!"


    Their father was furious. "You are my child, I''ll discipline you the way I see fit!"


    "Children are independent individuals, not your ves!"


    Gu Yi snatched the rattan whip from his father and snapped it forcefully.


    ...


    The sister moved out to live with her grandmother, away from their parents.


    Today, Gu Yi took his grandmother and sister on a trip to the circus in the city. The circus master was named Dark Moon. He presented a lottery box in front of the sister.


    "Child, you''ve earned a chance to draw a prize."


    "Wow, I hope I win!"


    The sister drew a Dark Moon prize ticket from the box.


    Dark Moon took the ticket and said with a grin, "Congrattions on winning. I can grant you one wish."


    "What kind of wish?"


    "Any wish you desire."


    "Hehe, I don''t really have a wish." The sister said, holding her brother and grandmother''s hands, "I''m already very happy and content."


    Dark Moonughed heartily. He took out a brooch shaped like a crescent moon and pinned it to the sister''s chest.


    "The Dark Moon Circus values integrity. How could we possibly let you go without a reward?"


    ...


    The town of Huang Dao faced judgment. Over twenty residents were arrested, including their parents. Even the mayor was sent to jail for embezzlement.


    The grandmother was granted custody of the sister. After caring for her for a while, she was admitted to the hospital due to illness.


    The grandmother caressed the sister''s head, "Little one, go out for a moment. I want to have a word with your brother."


    The sister nodded and left the ward.


    "My dear, your grandmother might not make it."


    "Grandma, what are you talking about? You''ll surely live a long life."


    "I''ve never been able to see or hear you, but I know you''re there. If you can hear me, promise me, take good care of your sister."


    The grandmother handed Gu Yi her lucky pouch.


    Gu Yi reached out to take it, but the lucky pouch passed through his hand and fell to the ground. Only then did he remember that he was just a character conjured up by his sister''s imagination.


    This ce was just her dream.


    Without her, he couldn''t manifest as a physical being.


    ...


    The sister was diagnosed with cancer and admitted to the hospital.


    Gu Yi stood by her bedside, holding her hand.


    A ray of sunlight fell on her face, illuminating her somewhat paleplexion.


    "Brother, can you... y the clown for me? I really want to... see a clown."


    "Of course."


    Gu Yi nodded, taking out a tattered mask from his pocket and cing it on his face.


    "Brother, a clown shouldn''t cry."


    Gu Yi grinned, pulling a balloon from his pocket. He skillfully blew it into the shape of a puppy and ced it beside her pillow.


    She nced at the puppy balloon and chuckled weakly.


    "Brother, I feel like I''m really about to fall asleep."


    Gu Yi removed the mask, gently patting her head, "You''re exhausted, aren''t you?"


    "Not tired, I''m so happy," she squinted at Gu Yi, "This might be the most wonderful dream I''ve ever had, but sadly... it''s also myst. Thank you for always being with me."


    Gu Yi remained silent.


    "Brother... do you think... life is always this painful?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why do we keep living? Why strive so hard to live?"


    "Because..."


    Before Gu Yi could respond, she closed her eyes, drifting into a deep slumber.


    <i>Creak, crack¡ª</i>


    The sound of shattering ss echoed in Gu Yi''s ears as the final dream of his sister began to fragment.


    ...


    The real world.


    Qu Kangping instinctively reached for a cigarette, but quickly remembered that he was in a hospital ward and hastily put it back in his pocket.


    <i>Beep¡ª</i>


    The heart monitor beside the bed emitted a sharp rm.


    Seeing this, Ah Jian rushed out to find a doctor.


    Medical staff rushed to the girl''s room and made a symbolic attempt to save her, only to regretfully announce that Xiao Ling had lost her young life.


    "Sorry, are you the rtives of the patient?"


    "We are from the ''Strategy Team''. I am the leader, Qu Kangping," he said. "This child may possess Weird powers... We need to take her away."


    "I see... No wonder she was so resilient. Most people would only live for three months, yet she lived for nearly a year. What''s sad is that her parents kept paying for her treatment but never visited her in the hospital. I can''t understand why there are such cruel parents in this world."


    Qu Kangping turned away helplessly.


    At the head of Xiao Ling''s bed was a cute puppy balloon, and on her pale face, there was a hint of a happy smile.


    ...


    Gu Yi finally left the dungeon. He opened his eyes and found himself back in that blood-scented room.


    <i>"Congrattions, adventurer, for sessfully achieving a perfect level clearance."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate is 100%."</i>


    <i>"From now on, all Weird events rted to the ''The Family of Three'' will no longer appear in your real world."</i>


    <i>"Your mental strength limit has increased to 100/100."</i>


    <i>"You have been granted a seven-day rest period."</i>


    <i>"Your talent has been strengthened. You can choose a new active skill. Please choose your active skill carefully, as it may affect your growth path in the future."</i>

 Chapter 103: Rest Day

    <h4>Chapter 103: Rest Day</h4>


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, the sound of the system prompt echoing in his ears.


    Back at the Chongshan Hospital, the dean''s wife once told him, "Don''t treat everyone like a puppet."


    This time, during thepletion of the dungeon, Gu Yi genuinely became emotionally involved. Even now, he couldn''t calm down.


    <i>"Whew¡ª"</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and pped his own face.


    The adventure would continue.


    Only by fully navigating the weird world and capturing the all-powerful director could theypletely escape the never-ending nightmare.


    "Come on, let''s see what new abilities you have prepared for me."


    Gu Yi braced himself and checked the three options provided by the system.


    <i>1. Psychological Suggestion:</i>


    <i>- Use on oneself or others. The lower the mental power of the target, the stronger the effect.</i>


    <i>- Using on others: Consumes 20 mental points,sts for 5 minutes, and has a 30-minute cooldown. It can cause feelings of fear, tension, excitement, happiness, etc.</i>


    <i>- Using on oneself: Consumes 10 mental points,sts for 10 minutes, and has a 15-minute cooldown. It can increase resistance to mental erosion, boost courage, or unlock physical potential.</i>


    <i>2. Phantom Person</i>


    <i>- Reduces 50% of mental power limit to create a phantom. Its attributes are equivalent to the character you''re ying and may receive additional bonuses from the mental power limit.</i>


    <i>- Duration itsts for is 10 minutes, with a 12-hour cooldown.</i>


    <i>3. Mental Spike:</i>


    <i>- It can be used on others. The lower the target''s mental power, the higher the damage.</i>


    <i>- Consumes 10 mental power points, and has a 1-minute cooldown. Using Mental Spike on the same person three times in session will trigger an instant death effect. This cannot trigger the instant death effect on the unspeakable.</i>


    <i>(Note: You can use skills during deductions without actually consuming mental power, but if you use skills during a deduction, you cannot use the "Backtracking" function.)</i>


    "Oh, it''s so frustrating, why can I only choose one skill?"


    Gu Yi scratched his head.


    Each of the three skills had its own unique advantages and could stand on its own.


    The first skillbined control and support capabilities. If Gu Yi had the Psychological Suggestion skill from the beginning, he wouldn''t have suffered so much in the "The Family of Three".


    The second skill was simr to his sister''s weird power. Its long cooldown and substantial consumption implied that the growth and power of the Phantom Person might be the strongest among the three skills.


    However, with the current high difficulty of the dungeon, even having an additional helper might not guarantee dominance. Besides, the summoning skill didn''t seem to mesh well with Gu Yi''s talent of deduction.


    The third skill was a formidablebat ability, probably derived from Miss Cat''s weird power. As long as he could dy for three minutes, Gu Yi could kill with the Mental Spike unarmed. Even if it couldn''t handle the unspeakable, it was still quite remarkable.


    Gu Yi pondered.


    It is very strange.


    Interestingly, the second and third skills had their prototypes in the dungeon. Yet, the first skill couldn''t be traced back to any corresponding weird power within the dungeon.


    Gu Yi spected that the first skill might be the one thatplemented his "Infinite deduction."


    "The system mentioned that this skill choice will impact future growth. It''s hinting at me to choose a minor skill revolving around my talent.


    My advantage lies in the ability to find clues and plot props through trial and error. Summoning and brute force aren''t my style ofpleting dungeons. Instead, a support skill with a bit of control effect suits me better.


    System, I choose skill one."


    A golden light shed before Gu Yi''s eyes, and the knowledge of the Psychological Suggestion skill imprinted itself in his mind.


    <i>"Adventurer, you have earned a seven-day rest period. You can return to the real world for recuperation. After seven days, you''ll need to return to the weird world to take risks again. Would you like to return to the real world now?"</i>


    "Return."


    Gu Yi nodded and slowly lost consciousness.


    ...


    In the real World.


    One dayter.


    Above the office building of the Dragon Country Strategy Team, a streak of purple lightning appeared.


    Qu Kangping snuffed out the cigarette in his hand, looking excitedly at the clouds in the sky, "Brothers, hurry up ande out, Gu Yi is back."


    "Quickly, quickly!"


    Ah Jian dropped his work and was the first to run out to the za in front of the building.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The purple lightning struck down.


    A portal appeared in front of everyone.


    With his eyes closed, Gu Yi walked out of the portal, his consciousness gradually returning to his body.


    "Ugh¡ª¡ª"


    Gu Yi shivered, and when he opened his eyes, he saw all the members of the Strategy team.


    "Er... everyone..."


    <i>p p--</i>


    The group spontaneously broke into apuse, which made Gu Yi take a step back, looking somewhat uneasy.


    Qu Kangping walked up to Gu Yi and put his arm around him, "Well done, Gu Yi. This is the first time I''ve seen you in the real world. You look even more spirited than in the videos."


    "Thank you..."


    "Want a smoke?"


    Qu Kangping offered a cigarette, and Ah Jian handed over a lighter.


    Gu Yi waved his hand awkwardly, "Thanks, Leader, but I don''t smoke."


    "Look at this young man, are you always this formal?"


    "Er... you guys are too enthusiastic; I''m not used to it."


    Gu Yi lowered his head.


    In the weird world, he was a brave adventurer. But after returning to the real world, he reverted to his usual shy and introverted self.


    After all, he was just a college student.


    "So, are you retired now?"


    "Retired?"


    "Oh, I mean, have you left the weird world and stopped adventuring?" Qu Kangping said with augh. "That''s fine too. No one will pressure you. You can still confront the weird powers in the real world."


    "No, I haven''t retired."


    Gu Yi shook his head and rolled up his sleeves.


    On his wrist was a ck chain, symbolizing that he had only temporarily left the weird world.


    Seeing this, Qu Kangping respected Gu Yi''s courage even more.


    "Leader, can I see my family?" Gu Yi asked.


    "Of course," Qu Kangping nodded, "But after they see you, your family can never leave our Strategy Team. It''s for their protection and yours. We don''t know how many fanatics out there are targeting you."


    "I understand."


    Gu Yi nodded, following Qu Kangping into the reception hall to meet his parents.


    Qu Kangping and Ah Jian sat by the entrance, waiting for Gu Yi.


    Unexpectedly, Gu Yi came out just half an hour after talking with his family.


    "Huh? Not staying to chat more?" Qu Kangping, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked surprised.


    "Just seeing my parents in good health is enough," Gu Yi scratched his nose and said, "Actually, I''m more concerned about matters of the weird world. Did you do what I told you?"


    "Of course."


    "Is there really a town involved in human trafficking?"


    "Yes, your spection was correct."


    "Tell me the details."


    Qu Kangping sat beside Gu Yi and exined every detail of the investigation into Huang Jia Town.


    Gu Yi raised an eyebrow, "So there really was a girl...and her name was Xiao Ling?"


    "Yes, unfortunately, she passed away just yesterday."


    "Can you take me to see her?"

 Chapter 104: Strategy Team Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 104: Strategy Team Meeting</h4>


    Inside the Strategy team''s research facility.


    Xiao Lingy inside a gigantic spindle-shaped device, her eyes tightly shut, looking as if she were asleep. This device was designed to neutralize weird powers, a recent research product from Dragon Country.


    She still had some residual weird energy on her, and it had to be dealt with before she could be buried.


    Gu Yi peered through the window and recognized Xiao Ling. She looked exactly like the younger sister he saw in the dungeon.


    "Leader, can I ask you a question?"


    "Go ahead."


    "Why do people live?"


    "Haa..."


    Qu Kangping scratched his head, utterly puzzled by what Gu Yi was trying to convey.


    Maintaining the mental health of adventurers was a vital responsibility of the Strategy team. Gu Yi''s question indicated that he had experienced something deeply disturbing in the dungeon.


    "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Even ants cling to life, why shouldn''t people cherish theirs?"


    Gu Yi paused for a moment, then smiled, "Anyways, Thank you. If you hadn''t resolved Xiao Ling''s resentment in the real world, I wouldn''t have been able to clear the dungeon."


    "We''re just d we could help."


    "Leader, can you gather all the Strategy team members? I''d like to hold a meeting to discuss some matters. Oh... and could you provide a list of all the adventurers in Dragon Country for me? Note that I mean all of them, including those who have passed away and those who are still alive."


    "Why?"


    "I''ve rested enough. Now, it''s time to get to work. Opportunities are fleeting, and there''s no time to waste."


    Gu Yi nodded and walked straight to the conference room.


    Qu Kangping lit a cigarette and signaled to Ah Jian with a flick of his finger, "Do as he says."


    "Yes."


    "Also, prepare three fishing rods and put them in the trunk of my car."


    "Huh? What are you nning?"


    "Just do as I said and don¡¯t ask unnecessary questions."


    Inside the conference room.


    Gu Yi sat at the far end of the conference table, busily scribbling down notes.


    Everyone who walked into the conference room looked at him with admiration, greeting him spontaneously.


    "Hello, Master Yi."


    "Master Yi..."


    "Stop calling me ''Master Yi''," Gu Yi put down his pen and paper, quickly interrupting them. "It might not sound awkward for you to say it, but it feels awkward for me to hear. Just call me Gu Yi."


    Qu Kangping, sitting next to Gu Yi, waved his hand to signal everyone to settle down. "Alright, take your seats. Today''s meeting isn''t hosted by me. Gu Yi will handle itpletely. Please, Gu Yi."


    Gu Yi nodded, moved to the podium, and adjusted his cor slightly.


    "Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your assistance. Without your help, I fear I might have been torn to pieces in the previous dungeon Thank you."


    Gu Yi bowed in respect.


    Everyone nodded in acknowledgment, returning the gesture.


    Gu Yi held arge stack of documents and notes in his hands, ncing at them as he spoke.


    "About the weird world, I have some new information to announce.


    <strong>1. Regarding the role of the host.</strong>


    Previously, everyone believed that the host''s only role was to manage the dungeon and select adventurers. Few adventurers in the world have ever seen the host alive, but I have sessfully met them and returned alive.


    I believe this is rted to my awakening of a rtively rare talent. My talent has the ability to foresee, which may have a significant impact on the weird world. Therefore, the host has given me a lot of special care.


    I specte that the host is more like the manager of the dungeons. They can design the dungeons and adjust the power parameters of the dungeons. However, they must follow even more rules than adventurers.


    For example, they cannot directly kill adventurers. The only thing they can do is increase the difficulty level of the dungeon.


    <strong>2. About the identity of the host.</strong>


    It has been spected before that NPCs in the dungeon might be dead adventurers, but the truth might be even more horrifying. Valuable adventurers, after dying, may return to the weird world and be a host.


    The host once invited me to join them, but I refused.


    <strong>3. The rtionship between reality and the weird world.</strong>


    Last time, we coborated and sessfullypleted a dungeon.


    This proves that the weird world and the real world interfere with each other. If the weird world''s dungeon is not sessfullypleted, the creatures of that world will invade reality. If we can find the unspeakable prototype in reality, we can also weaken the monsters in the weird world.


    In the future, we have another method to counter the weird world, and that is to find corresponding weird events in the real world. Of course, this only applies to dungeons with Earth as the background, as there are many dungeons from parallel universes in the weird world.


    <strong>4. Investigation of the host''s identity and a capture n.</strong>


    As I mentioned, the host is a former adventurer and must adhere to the basic rules of the weird world.


    The weird world and the real world interact. A dungeon is opened every seven days, and when an adventurer sessfullypletes two consecutive dungeons, they have the opportunity to return to the real world for rest.


    Therefore, I boldly hypothesize ¨C the host also has a seven-day rest opportunity.


    Think about it, everyone.


    Who is leading the fanatics in the real world?


    Who is teaching the fanatics about weird powers?


    Is it really as they im, raving of so-called gods? Many of you have been to the weird world. You''ve only heard unspeakable''s raving, but when have you seen the director take action himself?


    How could the fanatics form such a scale without a powerful host behind them?


    If the host doesn''t have informants in the real world, how would he specifically send bookworms to obstruct your investigation?


    Therefore, starting now, we will investigate all adventurers, with a particr focus on those who have died.


    The host I encountered incorporated many elements from the Dragon Country''s cultural sphere when designing the dungeon world. I believe he is very likely one of our country''s people, so we can prioritize investigating adventurers from our own country.


    After we adventurers return to the real world, we can no longer use our abilities, and I suspect the same goes for the host. However, when we capture him, we must not let our guard down. Although he may not be able to use his abilities, it doesn''t mean he can''t use weird items.


    Next, we need to identify the suspects within one day. By the second day, we should finalize our capture n and execute it. He is cunning, so we must be fully prepared."


    After saying all this, Gu Yi finally put down his notes.


    Looking up, he realized that everyone in the room was intently focused on him.


    Their expressions were a mix of admiration, confusion, and shock, making Gu Yi feel somewhat uneasy.


    "Uh? Did I say something wrong?"


    Gu Yi turned his head to the side and nervously adjusted his cor again.


    Qu Kangping felt a sting on his finger and, looking down, realized that his cigarette had burned down to his fingertips.


    Gu Yi''s speech was so captivating that everyone lost track of time.


    "Gu Yi,e down. You don¡¯t need to be involved in the investigation and capture tasks."


    "Huh?" Gu Yi looked at Qu Kangping, "What do you mean, Leader? Did I do something wrong? Or was there a w in my reasoning?"

 Chapter 105: Gu Yi’s Fishing Technique

    <h4>Chapter 105: Gu Yi''s Fishing Technique</h4>


    "No, you''re right. But I have another task for you."


    "Another task?"


    "A secret mission."


    Qu Kangping leaned closer to Gu Yi, winked mysteriously, and then turned to the others, clearing his throat.


    "You''ve all heard what Gu Yi said. Starting now, begin your investigations immediately. By tonight, I need everything to be clear. Gu Yi and I have other tasks toplete. Meeting dismissed."


    Everyone got up, discussing the meeting as they left the office.


    Blinking his big eyes, Gu Yi curiously asked, "Leader, where are we going?"


    "Hehe, I''m taking you for training, of course." Qu Kangping replied with a grin, "What''s your current mental power?"


    "100."


    "You should have noticed, right? Your mental power growth rate in the weird world has decreased, hasn''t it?"


    "Yes."


    "In fact, there are many ways to train mental power. Even in the real world, it can be practiced. Mental power is your most crucial asset; it allows you to stay calm when facing the Unspeakable."


    "Um..."


    Gu Yi nodded silently.


    "Alright,e with me."


    Gu Yi followed Qu Kangping to the parking lot, where Ah Jian had already started the car.


    Qu Kangping sat in the passenger seat, chatting andughing with Ah Jian.


    In the backseat, Gu Yi was deep in thought, recalling the list and details of the adventurers. His memory was extraordinary, and he had alreadymitted everything to heart after only a brief nce.


    "We''re here, get out."


    "Huh?"


    Upon hearing this, Gu Yi got out of the car.


    They were by a small river in a deste area with scattered greenery around. Not far away was a perimeter of barbed wire, with armed guards stationed at the entrance.


    "What is this ce?"


    "This is our Strategy Team''s training ground." Qu Kangping pointed in the distance, "See the targets?"


    "Yeah, I see them. Did you bring me here to practice shooting? I think it''s unnecessary. In many dungeons, the role of firearms is minimal. Rather than practicing shooting, I''d rather..."


    "Rather go fishing."


    Qu Kangping handed a fishing rod to Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi looked at him, utterly baffled.


    "Fishing? I don''t have time for that..."


    "This is an order. Your job today is to rx and fish. Ah Jian, get him a stool to sit next to me."


    "What?"


    Gu Yi was forcibly seated on a stool by Ah Jian.


    A Jian was a rigorously trained agent; in terms of physical prowess, Gu Yi was no match for him.


    Reluctantly, Gu Yi picked up the fishing rod and mimicked Qu Kangping, baiting his hook, "I feel like this is a sheer waste of time. You might as well have Brother Ah Jian teach me some hand-to-handbat techniques."


    "You know shit."


    Qu Kangping cast his line and lit a cigarette.


    "In the weird world, your mental state is always tense. If you return to the real world and remain in such a state, it''ll be too much to bear. There has to be a bnce."


    "I think I''m fine."


    "Oh, I hope so."


    Qu Kangping took a drag from his cigarette, calmly stating, "I didn''t bring you here to fish without reason. I''ll have you know, my talent also possesses a form of foresight, so I know precisely how to train mental power."


    "Huh?"


    "You can''t use your talents in the real world, but that doesn''t mean you lose your intuition. Everyone has intuition; the weird world merely amplifies yours, turning it into a talent."


    "I see." Gu Yi nodded thoughtfully. "But... what does this have to do with fishing?"


    "Fishing is actually an excellent exercise for mental strength. The most important thing when fishing is patience. You can meditate while fishing, which helps hone your mental power.


    Moreover, fishing is an excellent opportunity to train your intuition.


    For example, right now, my intuition tells me I''ll be the first to catch a fish. If you don''t believe me..."


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi lifted his rod, revealing a fish the size of a palm.


    Qu Kangping with a cigarette in hand, coughed twice, "Not bad, young man."


    "This fish is so small."


    Gu Yi frowned, unhooking the tiny fish and tossing it back into the river.


    Qu Kangping continued to gaze at theke.


    "Cough, cough... The reason I brought you fishing is one, to help you rx, and two, to train your intuition and mental strength. Hey, let me show you. I have a feeling I''ll catch a big fish any moment now."


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi lifted his rod, and a big fish was pping its tail vigorously. Gu Yi fumbled to grab the fish and casually tossed it into the bucket next to him.


    Qu Kangping wiped the water from his face and coughed twice, snuffing out his cigarette.


    "You''re quite interesting, young man. You remind me a bit of myself when I was younger. Back in my day, I was quite skilled too. Every time I went fishing with friends, I''d be the first to catch a fish, often even the biggest one.


    But, you know, fishing isn''t just about catching one big fish. I have a feeling that today, I''ll catch the most fish. If you don''t believe me, let''s make a bet..."


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    <i>Ssh¡ª</i>


    While Qu Kangping was speaking to himself, Gu Yi caught three fish in a row.


    A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Qu Kangping''s mouth.


    "Heh... I''m starting to acknowledge your skill. But don''t get cocky; it''s just the beginning. When I used to fish, I caught so many I''d have to borrow other people''s buckets. I have a feeling..."


    Suddenly, Gu Yi stood up and walked over to Ah Jian.


    "Brother Ah Jian, can I ask you something?"


    "What is it?"


    "My bucket''s full. Can I borrow yours?"


    "Oh, sure."


    Gu Yi took Ah Jian''s bucket and ced it next to him.


    Qu Kangping looked at Gu Yi and asked with a frown, "Are you ying dumb and acting smart?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Have you fished before?"


    "Nope."


    "Then how are you so good?"


    "I don''t know." Gu Yi shrugged, "You''re right, fishing is indeed rxing. Once I fill up the remaining two buckets, let''s head back. We have another big fish to catch."


    "Hmph!"


    Qu Kangping put down his fishing rod, angrily lit a cigarette, and gestured to Ah Jian, whispering, "Ah Jian, don''t bring this kid fishing anymore."


    "But you said fishing could train one''s mental strength..."


    "That was bloody nonsense," Qu Kangping cursed. "If I didn''t trick him like that, would this kid willinglye to rest?"


    "I almost believed it for real."


    Suddenly, Qu Kangping felt a shadow behind him. Turning around, he found that Gu Yi had caught another lively big fish.


    "Leader, Brother Ah Jian''s bucket is also full. Can I use yours?"


    Qu Kangping gave an embarrassed smile and handed his bucket to Gu Yi.


    ...


    Blood.


    Explosions.


    Limb fragments.


    In an interrogation room stained red with blood, only a pair of bloody arms remained.


    The arms incessantly scratched the ground, digging out a dead man''s head from the floor.


    The decapitated head floated up, spinning in the air, emitting creepyughter.


    ...


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi abruptly opened his eyes and sat up in bed.


    Ah Jian and Gu Yi shared a dormitory. Ah Jian sat up, looking at Gu Yi in surprise.


    "What''s wrong, brother?"


    "I had a nightmare."


    "Huh?"


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment, then grabbed Ah Jian''s arm, saying earnestly, "I must be involved in the mission to capture the host!"


    "No way," Ah Jian shook his head. "That guy''s too dangerous. The leader said our priority is to ensure your safety."


    "Fine." Gu Yi opened the dormitory door. "I''ll go talk to the leader myself."

 Chapter 106: Leaving No Stone Unturned

    <h4>Chapter 106: Leaving No Stone Unturned</h4>


    Two dayster.


    In Jinling City.


    In a roadside art gallery, the owner was carefully wiping the dust on the counter.


    Three girls in school uniforms walked into the gallery, but they weren''t interested in the paintings. Instead, they were all pointing and whispering about the gallery owner.


    "He''s so handsome."


    "Where? Just average."


    "Average? Then why were your eyes wide open when you walked in?"


    The owner smiled and put away the cloth, approaching the girls, "Can I help you with something?"


    "No, no, we just want to look around."


    "You can continue with your work."


    "Alright."


    He shrugged and continued cleaning.


    A gust of wind blew.


    The quill that the owner had ced on the counter fell to the ground. As he bent down to pick it up, a crystal ball on the table rolled off its stand, shattering into eight pieces.


    "What happened?"


    After thinking for a moment, the owner took a brush and painted his chin with blue paint.


    <i>Ding-ding-ding...</i>


    Five men in ck uniforms entered the gallery. They had a serious look, and their synchronized movements indicated a military background.


    The three schoolgirls felt a chill down their spines when they saw the men and quickly left the gallery hand in hand.


    "What can I do for you?"


    The owner flicked his wrist, secretly pulling out a tarot card from under the table.


    "We are special agents from the Dragon Country Strategy Team." Ah Jian stepped forward and pointed a gun at the owner, "Don''t move, raise your hands where I can see them."


    "Okay, I''ll raise them."


    "Jin Xin?"


    "Yes."


    "Raise your hands and walk slowly towards me. Don''t try any tricks."


    "Can... I ask what you guys are here for?"


    "You know very well." Ah Jian waved his hand, "Slowly walk over."


    "Ah... I see."


    Jin Xin smirked, flipping the tarot card hidden in the back of his hand to his palm.


    The five agents immediately became tense.


    With quick reflexes, Ah Jian fired a shot through Jin Xin''s palm.


    Blood sttered everywhere.


    Jin Xin turned to look at the tarot card in his hand and couldn''t help but curse, "Of all the cards to draw, why did it have to be this one?"


    The tarot card depicted a tall tower being split in half by a bolt of lightning from the sky.


    The bottom of the card read: <strong><i>The Tower.</i></strong>


    A chill ran down Ah Jian''s spine. When he looked forward, he saw a bunch of bombs with weird smiling faces suddenly appearing inside the gallery. The fuses were almost burnt out.


    "Find cover, now!"


    Ah Jian yelled and rushed out of the gallery.


    With a coldugh, Jin Xin took advantage of the chaos to escape through the back door.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The gallery exploded into the sky, with ss shards, and the force of the explosion injured countless bystanders.


    A fragment wounded Jin Xin''s forehead. He took out a paintbrush from his pocket, drew two lines on his face, and the wound healed instantly.


    The street was in chaos.


    As Jin Xin fled, he used the paintbrush to draw on his face, and soon he transformed into a beggar. He took off his suit, flipped it inside out, and with a light shake, it immediately turned into ragged clothing.


    "What caused the explosion?"


    "Was it a gas leak?"


    "Quick, call the firefighters!"


    Bystanders stood nearby, fervently discussing the gallery that was now in ruins.


    Jin Xin hid amidst the crowd, moving against the flow of people.


    A foreboding feeling overcame him. He looked both ways and spotted two agents disguised as civilians approaching him.


    Jin Xin sneered and walked straight towards the agent on the left.


    "Stop."


    "Get lost!"


    Jin Xinnded a punch on the agent''s face.


    The agent grunted in pain and fell to the ground.


    Jin Xin leaped over the agent and headed for the alley behind the street. He could hear the rapid footsteps of pursuers behind him. Turning around, he saw a disheveled Ah Jian raising his gun, aiming at his back.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Ah Jian fired three shots.


    Jin Xin''s back was immediately drenched in blood, but he seemed unfazed by the pain and continued to march towards the end of the alley.


    Ah Jian grabbed his earpiece, "Gu Yi, he''s heading towards our encirclement."


    "Understood, the helicopter is on standby," Gu Yi replied. "Ah Jian, check your phone and hide in the location I''ve marked."


    "Why hide there?"


    "Don''t think too much, just do it."


    Ahead was a dead-end. Jin Xin vaulted over the high wall, only to be greeted by a sea of gun barrels aimed at him.


    "Jin Xin, you''re surrounded," Qu Kangping, with a cigarette in his mouth, taunted. "Unless you grown wings, you won''t be escaping from here."


    "Heh, why don''t I try and see?"


    Jin Xin pulled out a blue-colored brush from his pocket and drew a line on his face.


    "Don''t let him cast any spells, shoot him!"


    <i>Bang Bang Bang!</i>


    Bullets rained down, shattering Jin Xin''s right arm. His body was soon riddled with bullet holes.


    With a muffled grunt, Jin Xin copsed, his wounds oozing a spectrum of colored blood.


    Tarot cards spilled from his pocket, scattering on the ground.


    "Quick, sprinkle salt on him!"


    The agents rushed forward, throwing salt canisters at Jin Xin.


    The saltnded on Jin Xin''s body, igniting silvery-white mes.


    Jin Xin let out a scream of pain. Despite the relentless assault from the agents, he managed to draw a card from the pile with his bloodied fingers.


    The card depicted a man hanging upside-down from a cross, with the English words "<i><strong>the-hanged-man</strong></i>" written below.


    Holding the card, a thin line of blood appeared on Jin Xin''s neck.


    "Sorry, captain," Jin Xin smirked. "Although I don''t have wings, I can still fly."


    Jin Xin''s head detached from his neck, suspended by a rope that appeared out of nowhere, soaring into the sky.


    Qu Kangping aimed his gun and fired at the flying severed head, but the bullets seemed unable to hit the almost dead man''s head at all.


    "Damn, Gu Yi actually predicted this?" Qu Kangping grabbed his walkie-talkie, "Deploy the helicopters!"


    Three helicopters promptly emerged, surrounding Jin Xin.


    The rotor des churned the air, causing turbulent winds which made Jin Xin''s flight erratic. The rope that held his head swayed left and right, making it difficult to control his direction.


    "You mere mortals, think you can y a god?"


    Jin Xin shouted defiantly.


    <i>If it wasn''t for the severe limitations on his powers in the real world, how could he be in such a predicament?</i>


    Jin Xin decided to give in. He let the rope sway freely, letting the wind carry him wherever it pleased. Even he had no idea where he would end up. No matter how clever these people were, they couldn''t possibly predict the oue of such a random event.


    "You think you can capture me? Dream on!"


    Jin Xin''s severed head darted chaotically in the air, reminiscent of a kite with its string cut. ncing downward, he headed straight for a manhole cover on the ground.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Jin Xin''s decapitated head knocked off the manhole cover, only to find someone already there beneath the lid.


    Ah Jian aimed his gun at Jin Xin''s floating head and said, "Sorry, this ce is fully upied."


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The bullet pierced through Jin Xin''s forehead.


    Jin Xin let out a strange cry, uncontrobly flying backward.

 Chapter 107: Interrogating Jin Xin

    <h4>Chapter 107: Interrogating Jin Xin</h4>


    Jin Xin let out a strange cry, uncontrobly flying backward.


    Unexpectedly, Jin Xin suddenly hung motionless in mid-air and couldn''t move. He rolled his eyes backward. It turned out that Gu Yi had grabbed the rope on the top of his head.


    "This rope of yours is quite nice." Gu Yi grinned, "It''s perfect for hanging you."


    "Gu Yi?"


    "We can chatter. We''ve prepared a cozy solitary cell for you."


    "I''ll kill you!"


    With hisst bit of strength, Jin Xin lunged at Gu Yi''s throat. Anticipating the move, Gu Yi quickly stuffed a salt shaker into Jin Xin''s mouth.


    "Hmm?"


    Jin Xin''splexion turned ashen, and he passed out with his eyes rolling back.


    ...


    Jin Xin was imprisoned in a special cell.


    Following Gu Yi''s instructions, the agents painted the entire cell ck. They locked Jin Xin''s head in a ss jar, with salt scattered around the jar and on the floor.


    Agents interrogated Jin Xin throughout the night, but he proved to be quite cunning.


    While he always answered their questions, his responses were information the strategy team already possessed.


    There had been no substantial progress in the interrogation so far.


    Standing outside the cell, Gu Yi volunteered, "Leader, let me interrogate him."


    "You?" Qu Kangping raised an eyebrow, "We don''t know what other weird powers he might possess. What if he harms you? In a few days, you''re going to another dungeon."


    "It''s okay, I know my limits."


    "Alright then... just be careful."


    Gu Yi nodded, opened the door, and walked into the cell.


    He took a chair, sat down in front of Jin Xin, and remained expressionless.


    "You look pretty handsome as a human." Gu Yi remarked with a raised eyebrow, "Why get involved in all this?"


    "How do you know about my abilities? Who told you? Or have you humans developed some new technology tobat the weird powers?"


    "Right now, I''m the one interrogating you, not the other way around."


    "Let me guess..." Jin Xin''s eyes darted around, "You''ve figured out how to use weird powers in the real world? Hehe, that''s a prerequisite to bing a host. You''re born for this, Gu Yi."


    "Hmph..."


    With a cold snort, Gu Yi punched Jin Xin, knocking him over.


    The ss case around Jin Xin shattered into pieces, and he fell onto the ground, and the specially made salt burst into silver mes.


    "Ah ¡ª stop it!"


    Gu Yi ignored him, stepping on his head.


    Ah Jian was taken aback, wanting to rush in to save Jin Xin, but Qu Kangping stopped him.


    "Team Leader, this isn''t right. We can''t torture the suspect."


    "Gu Yi isn''t part of our strategy team," Qu Kangping said. "Our rules don''t apply to him."


    Jin Xin''s screams echoed in the cell, his eyes rolling back as if he were about to lose consciousness.


    "Can we talk civilly now?"


    "Yes..."


    Jin Xin red resentfully at Gu Yi, squeezing out a single word through gritted teeth.


    Gu Yi grabbed Jin Xin by the ear and ced him back on the table.


    "Are there other hosts within Dragon Country?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Still being dishonest?"


    "I really don''t know!" Jin Xin stared at Gu Yi, "The weird world selects adventurers randomly. The selection of hosts is also random. Who knows what the director is thinking?"


    Judging from Jin Xin''s previously stubborn nature, Gu Yi deduced that Jin Xin''s words must be a mix of truth and lies.


    "Have you seen the director?"


    "I''ve seen him, and I haven''t."


    Gu Yi''s face elongated in exasperation, and Jin Xin quickly borated.


    "The director is a god. Mortals like us cannot directly behold deities. Every time I see the director, it''s just one of his many incarnations. So naturally, I''ve seen him and haven''t."


    "What you''re saying sounds just like the ravings of a fanatical believer. Did Ie here to listen to your nonsense?"


    Gu Yi punched Jin Xin off the table, sending him back into the salt frost.


    "Ah! How dare you treat me like this? Ah¡ª"


    "Stop ying games with me," Gu Yi said coldly. "How many hosts are there within Dragon Country?"


    "Just me, I swear, only me!"


    "How is that possible?"


    "We hosts have to follow strict rules and there''s a survival of the fittestpetition among us. If a host in a region fails in his duties, he will be reced by the next one..."


    "So you''re still not being honest? Then why are you so keen on recruiting me? Aren''t you and me will also bepetitors?"


    "Ah¡ª" Jin Xin moaned in pain. "Wake up, Gu Yi! Humans aren''t worth your loyalty. Let me go, and I can grant you immortality!"


    Gu Yi stood up, looking down at Jin Xin, "Hmph, still noting clean? Then continue rolling on the floor."


    Tears of blood flowed from Jin Xin''s eyes, quickly evaporating in the silver mes. He loudly cursed Gu Yi, seemingly the only way to alleviate his pain.


    "Gu Yi, you''re doomed! Sooner orter, humans will betray you. We are of the same kind; they won''t ept you! Don''t you understand this? You will understand, sooner orter!"


    Gu Yi watched Jin Xin emotionlessly until the salt frost on the ground waspletely burnt out. Jin Xin''s face was scorched, but he was still weakly groaning.


    A host''s vitality is extremely strong, capable of surviving even if just a head remains.


    Gu Yi pushed the door and left the room.


    Ah Jian nced at Gu Yi. "Did you kill him?"


    "He can''t die," Gu Yi shook his head, "He''s a host. As long as the weird world operates, he can draw power from it, achieving immortality."


    "This..."


    "Lock him up. Let''s conduct an experiment to see what happens if he doesn''t return to the weird world on time."


    "Do we need to continue the interrogation?"


    "No need. This guy is full of lies. Interrogating him is a waste of breath."


    Ah Jian pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.


    Qu Kangping finished hisst puff of cigarette and threw the butt into the ashtray. "Ah Jian, do as Gu Yi said."


    "Yes."


    Qu Kangping approached Gu Yi and asked curiously, "Gu Yi, I don''t want to ask anything else, but I want to know how you foresaw that Jin Xin would fly and eventually try to escape through the sewer?"


    "Hmm... For the past few nights, I''ve been having nightmares, which I think is my intuition at work.


    I dreamt of a head floating in the sky, so I guessed that Jin Xin would possess the ability to fly."


    "The head emerged from the ground in my dream, so I guessed that Jin Xin would escape through the underground sewer. When I arrived at the scene, I noticed blood on one of the manhole covers. As I approached, I realized it was just a hallucination.


    So, I deduced that Jin Xin would use that manhole cover to escape.


    Moreover...


    There''s another crucial detail.


    In my dream, Jin Xin was saved by another person''s arm. That''s why I kept asking him if there were other hosts within the Dragon Country. I''m worried that an aplice mighte to rescue him."

 Chapter 108: Answering the Questions

    <h4>Chapter 108: Answering the Questions</h4>


    Qu Kangping blinked, "You can''t... really use weird powers in reality, can you?"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, trying again.


    "No." Gu Yi shook his head, "If I really could use weird powers, I''d probably be like Jin Xin, unable to touch salt frost."


    "But your sixth sense is quite terrifying. It''s almost like weird power."


    "Yeah." Ah Jian eximed, "To be able to use weird powers and not be affected by salt frost, that''s simply being invincible."


    "Well... Like I said, it''s not a weird power. It''s a sixth sense, or some type of intuition, perhaps?"


    Qu Kangping leaned in, seriously looking at Gu Yi, "Can you tell me how you do it? This could be a significant discovery for us."


    "How did I do it? I just did what you told me to."


    "Me? What did I say?"


    "You once said that fishing can help sharpen intuition and mental strength. I found that quite useful." Gu Yi scratched his head, "You guys go on with your work; I need to use the restroom."


    Ah Jian watched Gu Yi''s departing figure and said in a leisurely tone, "Team Leader, didn''t you say that the thing about fishing strengthening the mental power was just a made-up story?"


    "Not anymore." Qu Kangping looked at Ah Jian seriously, "Starting from tomorrow, every agent after work must fish for two hours."


    ...


    <i>"Adventurer, your rest time is over."</i>


    <i>"Please proceed to the designated location and return to the Weird World to continue your challenge."</i>


    <i>"If you can''t reach the designated location within 2 hours, you''ll be considered to have withdrawn from the adventure in the Weird World."</i>


    As soon as Gu Yi opened his eyes, he heard the system notification.


    Purple lightning began to strike at the horizon, and on the vacant lot where Gu Yi had descended previously, a portal to the void appeared once again.


    Ah Jian pushed open the dormitory door, "Gu Yi, are you returning again?"


    "Um."


    "You could entirely stay in the real world. No one will pressure you; you''re already a hero to humanity."


    "I''m not doing this because I fear pressure," Gu Yi said with a smile, "I''m just searching for the meaning of life."


    "You speak like a philosopher writing a prose."


    "Alright, Brother Ah Jian," Gu Yi stood up and walked out of the dormitory, "Keep an eye on Jin Xin. Next time I return, I want to talk to him again."


    "Gu Yi."


    "Yes?"


    "Good luck."


    "Thanks."


    Gu Yi walked to the open field, with members of the strategy team watching him from their windows as he left.


    ...


    Qu Kangping lit a cigarette and turned on the surveince monitor.


    In the video, Gu Yi was sitting motionless in a ssroom like a statue. The students around him were writing fervently without looking up.


    Qu Kangping then switched to live feeds from other countries.


    Last time, only the adventurer from the Lighthouse Country, Chris, had survived. He unlocked the <i>talent of Inspiration</i> and also possessed an incredibly robust resistance to mental erosion.


    The side effect of<i> Inspiration</i> was being more susceptible to mental erosion, but Chris, with his robust resistance to mental erosion, was on par with Gu Yi in terms of strength.


    Apart from Gu Yi and Chris, the remaining adventurers were all new recruits.


    Qu Kangping nced at his phone. The dark web had started cing bets on who would win between Chris and Gu Yi.


    "These people are so bored."


    Qu Kangping looked up at the screen.


    Gu Yi had regained his mobility and was now looking around, seemingly clueless about his purpose.


    ...


    <i>[Dungeon Name] Final Examination</i>


    <i>[Dungeon Description] Every day, we tackle questions, judging our own life or death, predicting others'' futures, and outlining the horrors of life. Freedom is no longer what we seek; we merely wish to survive.</i>


    <i>[Clearance Conditions]</i>


    <i>[1. Perfect Level: Investigate the truth behind Wapeng High School and pursue freedom or death.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>2. Excellent Level: Sessfully escape from Wapeng High School and pursue freedom.</i>


    <i></i>


    <i>3. Normal Level: Sessfully pass the final exam and pursue death.]</i>


    The basic information of the instance appeared in Gu Yi''s mind.


    The clearance conditions surprisingly don''t mention the elimination of the Unspeakable, which was quite unusual.


    There are only two possibilities.


    One, there''s no Unspeakable in this dungeon.


    Two, the Unspeakable in this dungeon cannot be eliminated.


    Both the instance description and the clearance conditions mentioned "death" and "freedom." Are these terms to be taken literally or do they imply something else?


    Gu Yi spected that it''s probably thetter.


    If one could simply choose death to clear the dungeon, wouldn''tmitting suicide at the startplete the dungeon?


    After ncing at the dungeon''s description, Gu Yi quickly came to a conclusion.


    This dungeon probably delves into the discussion of freedom and death, set within a high school named Wapeng. Gu Yi looked around and saw all the students hunched over, writing. While he hadn''t properly regained control over his body yet.


    He looked down at his desk, the words on the exam paper were blurry.


    About ten secondster, the words became clear, and Gu Yi regained his freedom.


    <i>[Please answer seriously. Once you write an answer, it cannot be changed.]</i>


    <i>[List the three most important people and three most significant items in your life.]</i>


    Gu Yi inspected both sides of the paper but couldn''t find a second question. Instead of hastily writing an answer, he closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You observe the other test-takers. Everyone''s exam paper looks identical. Although they are all seemingly engrossed, not all of them are writing.)


    (Their expressions are tense and pained.)


    (The invigtores over, tapping your head with a ruler.)


    (Invigtor: This is an exam, no looking around.)


    (You: I''m sorry.)


    (You lower your head.)


    (You briefly observed the ssroom setup but didn''t spot any hint or clue.)


    (You nce at your pencil case and find a handwritten note inside.)


    (<strong><i>[What makes us human is ourplex emotions.]</i></strong>)


    (You look at your school uniform, feeling an inexplicable restlessness.)


    (You refocus on the question.)


    (The invigtor loudly announces: There are five minutes left in the exam, please hurry.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You want to write the names of your family members in the answer column, but your intuition tells you not to be so rash.)


    (You jot down the names of three random people, all with yourst name.)


    (For the three items, you list the autographed book of the Stone Giant, a limited edition pair of sneakers, and your beloved bike.)


    (The end-of-exam bell rings.)


    (The invigtor collects the papers.)


    (You leave the ssroom with all the other students and are directed into an adjacent waiting room.)


    (Some students were engrossed in their books, while others discussed the exam they had just taken.)


    (You tried to blend in with the students and chatted casually with them.)


    (The invigtor entered the waiting room with a list, calling out your name.)


    (You were led by the invigtor into an office.)


    (Inside the office, all the teachers were engrossed in grading papers. You noticed the wall opposite the office had the "<i>Wapeng High School Student Code of Conduct</i>" written on it.)


    (<i><strong>[Wapeng High School Student Code of Conduct]</strong></i>)


    (<i>1. Always remember the school motto of honesty and integrity.</i>)


    (<i>2. Obey the management of the teachers.</i>)


    (<i>3. Maintain friendly and helpful rtions with ssmates.</i>)


    (<i>4.</i><i>During the final exams, strictly adhere to exam protocols and requirements.</i>)


    (<i>5. The school operates under a strict enclosed system. Until the end of your studies, you are not allowed to leave the school or contact the outside world in any form.</i>)

 Chapter 109: Three People, Three Items

    <h4>Chapter 109: Three People, Three Items</h4>


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (So far, this school has no weird rules; it''s not much different from a regr campus.)


    (Since the name of the dungeon is "Final Examination," the real difficulty of the dungeon should be rted to the final exam. Your next task is to find the hint note for the final exam.)


    (The teacher marking the paper picks up your exam and points to three names.)


    (You feel a strong mental power fluctuation from the teacher and you specte that your psychological suggestion might not work on her.)


    (Teacher: Who are these three people?)


    (You: My father and my two brothers.)


    (Teacher: Don''t think I can''t see your lie; you have failed this test, and you''re expelled.)


    (Two security guards approach, holding you by each arm and leading you out of the office.)


    (You decide to test thebat abilities of the characters in this dungeon.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself.)


    (Feeling a surge of strength, you break free from the two guards.)


    (You run frantically down the corridor and head down the stairs.)


    (A burly man blocks the stairway entrance, also dressed as a security guard.)


    (You engage in a fight with him.)


    (You''re eventually overpowered.)


    (The burly man picks you up and throws you into a garbage chute.)


    (Stars dance before your eyes as you slide through the chute for ten minutes, finallynding on a garbage pile.)


    (Before you, there''s a massive incinerator. A conveyor belt is constantly pushing garbage into it.)


    (A rush of trash pushes you closer and closer to the incinerator.)


    (You are incinerated.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    This time, the exam was graded on the spot. Once the paper waspleted, it was immediately checked by the teacher.


    Moreover, the names he made up on the spot, the teacher can immediately discern that he''s lying. And, the teacher''s basis for judgment isn''t rational reasoning, but some strange power.


    The strength of the school''s security guards varies; some areparable to average adult men, some far beyond normal.


    Under the influence of psychological suggestion, he can deal with two regr security guards simultaneously. However, there''s no way to deal with the burly guard unless he has a weapon.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself.)


    (You convince yourself that the three names you made up are the most important people to you.)


    (You write these three made-up names on the paper, and the names of the three items remain unchanged.)


    (You leave the examination room and sit in the waiting area.)


    (When the grading isplete, you''re not called into the teacher''s office.)


    (The invigtores out and begins addressing the students from the podium.)


    (Teacher: Students, you''vepleted the information entry. There are more exams waiting for you. The examination period is six days in total. Please rest well and do not leave the school premises before the end of the exams. The exam for the first day is over; you can now collect the keys to your dormitory rooms.)


    (Students disperse, and you follow the crowd to the dormitory building.)


    (You nce behind and estimate that there are about three to four hundred students participating in the exam. Everyone lines up orderly at the dormitory entrance.)


    (It''s finally your turn.)


    (The dormitory supervisor, an olderdy, checks a roster and then removes her reading sses to look at you.)


    (Auntie: Are you Gu Yi?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Auntie: To get the dormitory key, there''s a price. You have to choose one item to give up from the three most important items you listed earlier. What do you choose to give up?)


    (You are taken aback. So, the previous question was meant for this.)


    (You guess that there''s a corresponding rtion between the exam spanning six days and the paper requiring you to write down three people and three items. It''s likely that each day, the school will ask you to give up one person or item.)


    (This is a test of human nature.)


    (Auntie: What do you choose to give up?)


    (You: The signed book from the Stone Giant.)


    (Auntie: A wise choice.)


    (The auntie snaps her fingers.)


    (A small void portal appears before you. The auntie retrieves the signed book from it.)


    (The signed book turns to ashes in the auntie''s hands.)


    (You receive the dormitory key.)


    (You enter your dormitory room.)


    (There''s a void in front of you.)


    (You end the spection!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, thinking deeply, biting the end of his pen.


    The dormitory seems to be in another dimension or protected by a higher power. He couldn''t deduce about its interior without entering personally.


    It seems the system is starting to counteract him.


    With him having captured Jin Xin, the other hosts would have been alerted. To counter his deductive ability, they must have made adjustments to the rules of the dungeon.


    The fact that he can''t sit in the ssroom and deduce about the dormitory situation is strong evidence.


    Moreover, the rules of the dungeon are quite disturbing.


    Three items, three people.


    If the requirement of the dungeon is to give up one person or item every day, the first three days would inevitably involve giving up cherished items. But thest three days would involve giving up people.


    But, if the three names Gu Yi writes are all fabricated, will he be discovered as lying when it''s time to actually give them up?


    Or would the dungeon simply choose three random, unrted individuals as sacrifices?


    Torn inside, Gu Yi didn''t dare to take this risk.


    <i>--If he dies due to breaking the rules, the whole country will be in danger. He had no choice but to write down the names of the people he truly treasures on the paper; this seemed the safest method for now.</i>


    There''s nothing to worry about.


    As long as he can uncover the truth about Wapeng High School within three days, he doesn''t need to worry about his family being in danger.


    With determination, Gu Yi wrote down the names of his parents and grandmother.


    In the real world.


    This dungeon is dubbed the easiest one in history. From the start till now, surprisingly, not a single adventurer has triggered an instant death.


    All the adventurers sat in the ssroom, only able to vaguely see the words on the exam papers.


    "Does anyone know what questions they are attempting?"


    "No idea, we''ll probably have to wait for the strategy team''s analysis."


    Qu Kangping sat in front of the monitor, zooming in on the exam questions using technological means. After seeing the questions, he pressed his lips together in silence.


    "Why isn''t Gu Yi writing anything?"


    "What is he thinking?"


    "Holy crap, Chris from the neighboring Lighthouse country handed in his paper early?"


    "That guy is almost immune to mental contamination and has strong inspiration powers. He probably found the answers through inspiration."


    Various discussions were going on in the chat.


    The pace of this dungeon isn''t fast, so everyone''s focus is on the two-star adventurers, Gu Yi and Chris.


    Ah Jian looked at the paper with some confusion, then turned to Qu Kangping.


    "Leader, why hasn''t Gu Yi written anything for so long?"


    "This question is definitely problematic. Gu Yi must have foreseen something," said Qu Kangping. "Let''s keep watching."

 Chapter 110: Wapeng High School Admission Ticket

    <h4>Chapter 110: Wapeng High School Admission Ticket</h4>


    In the real world.


    People watched the adventurers'' every move through the weird live broadcast.


    The adventurers arrived in front of the dormitory buildings.


    There were two buildings in total: the one on the east was for males, and the one on the west was for females.


    The adventurers lined up to receive their dorm keys. However, before they could get the key, each person had to choose one of the three people or items they had written down earlier to discard.


    "So, everything they just wrote, they have to discard in the end?"


    "Damn, does that mean they even have to abandon their loved ones?"


    "This dungeon is too cruel, isn''t it?"


    Gu Yi and Chris were the calmest among the adventurers, seemingly having anticipated this twist.


    However, other adventurers, especially those participating for the first time, weren''t asposed.


    An adventurer from the "Kimchi Country" had listed three of his most cherished items, one of which was a watch his father gave him. Watching the watch shatter before his eyes, he broke down crying.


    The audience from Kimchi Country immediately burst into ridicule.


    "It''s just a watch, is it really worth it?"


    "Hey, hey, get into the dormitory quickly! The security ising!"


    "Do you want to fail the dungeon over a watch?"


    Security arrived in time and escorted the adventurer from the Kimchi Country away.


    Many viewers from Kimchi Country exited the live broadcast, no longer wanting to watch.


    They still had to figure out how to deal with the weird events!


    However...


    Unexpectedly for Kimchi Country and the entire world, after the adventurer from Kimchi Country died, they received news of him sessfully clearing the challenge.


    It turns out that as long as you die, you can reach the normal level clearance?


    Upon hearing this, the live chat went wild.


    Many viewers urged their own country''s adventurers tomit suicide to clear the challenge.


    Ah Jian shook his head, "What''s going on? Why has the chat be like this?"


    "Take a look at this report," Qu Kangping handed a report to Ah Jian, "This is what the technical department just analyzed."


    Ah Jian picked up the report and read it.


    Each student''s uniform in the dungeon had various weird patterns on it. Upon magnification, these patterns revealed disturbing images of hanging, wrist-slitting, and other forms of self-harm.


    Not only the viewers but even the adventurers had missed these horrifying details.


    "Those images are really unsettling."


    "Yes, and not just that. The whole live broadcast is also very dim, inside the sky has been constantly overcast. Presumably, in the eyes of those adventurers, the surroundings are also very dark.


    The creepy patterns on the uniforms, the gloomy sky,bined with the weird low exposure filter ¨C all of these were enough to bring negative psychological suggestions to all the adventurers.


    Under the dual torture of weird powers and psychological suggestions, ordinary adventurers easily suffered mental breakdowns. The adventurer from Kimchi Country just died because of this.


    However, the malicious intent of this dungeon had only just begun to reveal itself. The host intended to y out the "Trolley Problem."


    An adventurer dies and passes the challenge.


    Considering their own safety, many viewers in the real world would inevitably pressure their country''s adventurers tomit suicide. If adventurers knew this, their stress would increase.


    You see, this is the first trolley problem of the dungeon.


    <i>If killing an adventurer could save an entire country from danger, would you kill him</i>?"


    Upon hearing this, Ah Jian closed his mouth.


    Qu Kangping lit another cigarette and immediately analyzed the difficulty of the entire dungeon.


    "The second trolley problem targets the adventurers.


    Would you choose to protect your own family at the cost of your country, or would you save the country and sacrifice your own family?


    Gu Yi dared not lie when answering the question, fearing the weird powers in the dungeon would detect it. So, he had to write the names of his parents, knowing that he would face such a dilemma sooner orter.


    I understand Gu Yi''s character. He prefers to bear all the pressures himself. He will definitely try to uncover the truth and achieve a perfect clearance before having to give up on his loved ones. He doesn''t want anyone to be sacrificed."


    "You''re right," Ah Jian nodded. "That''s just like him, always shouldering everything himself. Leader, I think we need to do whatever we can."


    "Oh?"


    "Do you remember the Scranton Stability Anchor we imported from Lighthouse Countryst time?"


    "Yes, the device we used for Xiao Ling."


    "That device can not only remove weird forces but can also resist the intrusion of external weird forces. My suggestion is... if Gu Yi can''t solve the problem in three days, we let his parents and grandmother sleep inside the device."


    "You''re right. That''s the only thing we can do."


    Inside the weird world.


    Gu Yi gave up the autograph book of the stone giant and received his dormitory key.


    The key had room number 404 written on it. He went to the fourth floor and entered the room.


    The dormitory had two beds with a desk underneath the upper one. Gu Yi''s roommate had a poker face, seeming quite introverted.


    Gu Yi sat at the desk and closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You greet your roommate, but he responds coldly.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on your roommate to make him drop his guard.)


    (You: Hi, my name is Gu Yi. What''s your name?)


    (Roommate: You can call me Chen Zeyu.)


    (You: The test just now seemed quite difficult, didn''t it?)


    (Chen Zeyu: Shh...)


    (Chen Zeyu covers your mouth.)


    (Chen Zeyu: Do you want to die?)


    (You quickly shut your mouth, realizing you may have broken some rule.)


    (Chen Zeyu: Don''t you know the rules of Wapeng High School?)


    (You shake your head.)


    (Chen Zeyu: It''s printed on your admission ticket. Didn''t you even look?)


    (Chen Zeyu unzips his jacket and points to a hidden pocket.)


    (You take off your jacket and, indeed, find it in the hidden pocket. Ever since you entered this dungeon, you''ve felt somewhat oppressed and missed these details.)


    (You dislike your school uniform and always subconsciously avoid it.)


    (On the front of the admission ticket is the exam schedule, and on the back are the exam instructions.)


    (<i>[Wapeng Middle School Admission Ticket]</i>)


    (<i>Day 1: Student information registration, dormitory assignment.</i>)


    (<i>Day 2: Public opinion Exam.</i>)


    (<i>Day 3: Moral Exam.</i>)


    (<i>Day 4: Stress Exam.</i>)


    (<i>Day 5: Freedom Exam.</i>)


    (<i>Day 6: Death Exam.</i>)


    (None of the subjects listed are ordinary, leaving you puzzled.)


    (You flip to the back of the admission ticket.)


    (<i>[Exam Instructions]</i>)


    (<i>Candidates are required to follow the following rules. Vitors will be expelled. If you find students viting the rules, please report them to the discipline office promptly. If the report is verified, you will be rewarded with academic points.</i>)


    (<i>1. Your assessment starts the moment you enter the campus.</i>)


    (2. Do not discuss the exam content outside the teaching building.)


    (<i>3. Always carry your admission ticket, school uniform, and stationery. If lost, they will not be reissued.</i>)


    (<i>4. Please answer using a ck ink pen or fountain pen. If neither works, please use fresh blood.</i>)


    (<i>5. Every choice during the exam will impact your final score.</i>)


    (<i>6. Trust the power of rationality. It will help you score higher.</i>)


    (You''re unsure about the exact exam content. Rule 4 seems weird, but the rest seem reasonable.)


    (Rule 6 emphasizes the adventurer''s belief in rationality, yet the handwritten note you found in the pencil bag stresses the role of emotions.)


    (The dungeon description mentioned freedom and death, and Rule 5 stresses the importance of choices.)


    (This might be hinting that during the exams, you''ll need to decide between analyzing with rationality and emotionality, until thest test, where you choose between freedom or death.)

 Chapter 111: The Truth Behind Choices

    <h4>Chapter 111: The Truth Behind Choices</h4>


    (Additionally, Rule 1 is also intriguing.)


    (The introduction of the dungeon emphasizes choices, and the exam rules also stress choices. Therefore, you will likely face various decisions in the uing process that might influence your clearance progress.)


    (From the moment you sat in the ssroom, the final exam had begun.)


    (Chen Zeyu: Have you figured it out?)


    (You: I have.)


    (There are many questions you''d like to ask, but you don''t have the chance.)


    (What''s the content of the exam?)


    (What''s the purpose of the exam?)


    (These are not apparent from the rules. Without information, nobody can deduce anything.)


    (You: Shall we take a walk outside the dormitory?)


    (Chen Zeyu: Look outside. Do you think it''s a good time for a stroll?)


    (You walk to the window and pull back the curtains.)


    (Outside, there''s only nothingness.)


    (Chen Zeyu: The void passage only exists at specific times. Until then, we can only stay in the dorm.)


    (You nod, understanding why your deduction ability wasn''t effective earlier.)


    (The effect of psychological suggestion on Chen Zeyu wears off. He climbs into bed, covers himself with a nket, and falls into deep sleep.)


    (The information you''ve gathered from Chen Zeyu is enough. You decide to leave the bedroom and explore elsewhere.)


    (The corridor is empty.)


    (On the wall of the corridor, you find the dormitory management rules.)


    (<i>[Dormitory Management Rules]</i>)


    (<i>1. Please keep the dormitory tidy at all times and avoid using any high-powered electrical appliances.</i>)


    (<i>2. Do not attempt to go to the roof of the dormitory building; the void storm will tear you apart.</i>)


    (<i>3. Do not try to go to the basement; the void tide will swallow you whole.</i>)


    (<i>4. There''s a vending machine in the dormitory lobby. Before the void passage opens, you can buy food and water from there.</i>)


    (<i>5. The dormitory supervisor lives on the first floor. You can seek her assistance for any issues.</i>)


    (Next to the dormitory management rules, there''s also a map of Wapeng High School.)


    (The schoolprises three teaching buildings, oneboratory building, one library, two dormitory buildings, and a gymnasium. Paths between the various floors of the school are indicated by dotted lines, representing the void passages.)


    (You specte that the top and basement of the dormitory likely hold essential items. Before that, you must find a way to safely navigate the void.)


    (You continue wandering in the corridor, and you hear strange noisesing from the fourth-floor restroom.)


    (You approach the restroom door.)


    (You see a skinny student being beaten and robbed by other students.)


    (You decide to act as if you didn''t see anything.)


    (As you walk away from the restroom door, you hear the invigtor''s voice in your mind.)


    (Invigtor: If you think it''s none of your business and stay out of it. One point will be deducted from emotionality, while one point will be added to rationality.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "So, that''s what ''choice'' means..."


    Gu Yi sat on the edge of the table and talked to himself.


    Chen Zeyu looked at Gu Yi, his face bearing a puzzled expression.


    Gu Yi paid no mind to his roommate''s gaze.


    He spected that every choice made by adventurers in the dungeon would affect the final oue. Moreover, the final scores of emotionality and rationality would inevitably correspond to the endings of "freedom" and "death."


    In the conditions for a perfect clearance, the adventurer needs to choose between "freedom" and "death" themselves. This means that one has to maintain equal scores of emotionality and rationality in order to have the privilege of selecting between "freedom" and "death."


    Therefore, the correct approach is not only to uphold justice and never turn a blind eye to danger but also to stay rational, ensuring one''s own safety and perfectly adhering to regtions.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You sit in the dormitory and wait for a while.)


    (You silently count the time in your heart, waiting for the unusual noise to appear from the restroom.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on Chen Zeyu, making him feel the urge to pee and causing his mood to be impulsive.)


    (Chen Zeyu leaves the dormitory, heading to the restroom.)


    (You apany him to the restroom.)


    (You both encounter two taller students bullying a smaller one. Chen Zeyu pauses for a moment, frowning.)


    (Chen Zeyu: You shouldn''t bully your ssmates.)


    (Tall student: What''s it to you?)


    (Chen Zeyu: Students should care for each other. This behavior goes against Wapeng High School''s rules.)


    (Tall student: Who asked for your opinion?)


    (The tall student ps Chen Zeyu.)


    (You record the entire process of the tall student hitting someone with your phone.)


    (The tall student sees you recording and immediately rushes towards you, trying to delete the video. Chen Zeyu helps fend off the two taller students.)


    (You quickly leave the restroom and run to the dormitory supervisor on the first floor.)


    (You show the supervisor the video on your phone.)


    (The supervisor aunt immediately expels the two taller students out of the dormitory building.)


    (The supervisor, having the ability to walk in the void, returns to the dormitory building in less than ten minutes.)


    (Supervisor: Well done, child. Your report has been verified. These two students bullied others and have been expelled. You have been awarded extra points.)


    (The voice of the invigtor rings in your mind.)


    (Invigtor: You resolved the violent situation. Your emotionality score increases by two points.)


    (You shake your head.)


    (You not only leveraged Chen Zeyu''s power, keeping yourself entirely out of the situation and away from danger, but also followed the rules by reporting the rule-breaking students to the school.)


    (Logically, even if the emotional and rational scores are not bnced, the rational score should at least increase a bit. So why did only the emotional score increase?)


    (You feel that you must have missed some clues.)


    (You turn back to the shorter student.)


    (The shorter student thanks you profusely.)


    (You: Why were those two taller students targeting you?)


    (Short student: Those two brothers are the bullies of our school. One is named Gao Qiang and the other Gao Da. They''ve been bullying me since our freshman year. Everyone knows about this.)


    (The short student''s expression is sincere while speaking, but you feel he is a bit too sincere.)


    (You ask Chen Zeyu if he knows the two taller students and Chen Zeyu shakes his head.)


    (You feel there''s more to the story than meets the eye.)


    (Your skill''s cooldown has just ended, and you use it on the short student, causing him to lower his guard toward you.)


    (You: What should I call you?)


    (Short student: Myst name is Yuan, but my friends call me Monkey.)


    (You: Why do they bully you?)


    (Monkey: Are you implying that the victim is to me? Instead of questioning those two bullies, why are you questioning me?)


    (You: I''m not ming you; I just want to understand the real situation.)


    (Monkey: I don''t want to talk about it anymore. If you want to know, ask those two jerks.)


    (Monkey leaves the hallway and returns to his dorm room.)


    (You note down Monkey''s dorm room number.)


    (You think you might have wrongly med someone.)


    (Monkey''s psychological defenses are strong. Even when you used your skill on him, he didn''t open up, suggesting he was hiding something. You believe this is why you can''t achieve a bnce between rationality and emotionality.)


    (You end the deduction!)

 Chapter 112: Polite and Proper, Logical and Justified

    <h4>Chapter 112: Polite and Proper, Logical and Justified</h4>


    Gu Yi sat on the chair.


    In about fifteen minutes, a bullying incident will ur in the restroom. Although he saw two tall guys beating up the monkey, he didn''t see why they were beating him.


    Now, Gu Yi still has a lot of mental energy left, so he decided to investigate further.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You greet Chen Zeyu and leave the dormitory.)


    (You arrive near Monkey''s dormitory, hiding at the corner of the staircase to avoid others'' gazes.)


    (Monkey exits his dorm, looking around sneakily.)


    (You quickly hide behind a wall corner.)


    (Sure enough, Monkey is up to no good.)


    (You hear footstepsing from the corridor.)


    (Peeking out, you see Monkey heading to the dormitory across the hall, Room 406.)


    (The door of 406 isn''t locked; he pushes it open.)


    (You pull out your phone and capture Monkey in the act.)


    (At that moment, the tall brothers, Gao Da and Gao Qiang, who were out, are heading back to their dormitory.)


    (Monkey hastily tries to exit the room.)


    (Gao Da stands in the corridor looking at monkey, scratching his head, while Gao Qiang who entered the dormitory keeps swearing.)


    (Gao Qiang: That little punk stole my wallet.)


    (Gao Da: Monkey?)


    (Gao Qiang: Don''t let him get away!)


    (Monkey tries to retreat to his dorm but is caught by Gao Da and Gao Qiang. They drag him into the restroom.)


    (You hear shouting from the restroom.)


    (You immediately enter.)


    (Monkey pleads to you for help.)


    (The brothers are furious.)


    (Using your skill, you soothe Gao Da''s emotions.)


    (You: Stop fighting. Remember the school rules. Do you want to be expelled?)


    (Gao Qiang: Mind your own business! Get out of here.)


    (Gao Da: Calm down.)


    (Gao Da holds back Gao Qiang.)


    (Monkey quickly takes refuge behind you.)


    (You grip Monkey''s wrist, pulling him in front of you.)


    (Monkey: What are you doing?)


    (You: Did you steal something just now?)


    (Monkey: What did I steal?)


    (You: I''m giving you a chance. Admit your wrongdoing, return what you''ve stolen, and I''ll let you go. But if you y dumb, I won''t hesitate to take you to the discipline office.)


    (Monkey: You''re ndering me! You''re bullying me!)


    (Gao Qiang: Today, I''ll show you what bullying really is, you little twerp!)


    (You: Gao Qiang, hitting someone also vites the school rules. Calm down.)


    (Gao Qiang: What''s it to you?)


    (Gao Da: Calm down, Ah Qiang. This ssmate is right. Our parents worked hard to send us to this school. Don''t waste this opportunity.)


    (You realize that in the eyes of these students, Wapeng High School holds significant importance.)


    (Hearing these words, Gao Qiang immediately cools down.)


    (Monkey breaks free from you.)


    (Monkey: I get it now. You''re in cahoots with them, you trash!)


    (You take out your phone and show the video of Monkey stealing.)


    (Monkey immediately backs down, begging for forgiveness from you, Gao Da, and Gao Qiang.)


    (You: I''ve given you a chance already. Come with me to see the dorm supervisor.)


    (Gao Da and Gao Qiang, respecting you, help bring Monkey to the dorm supervisor.)


    (The dorm supervisor checks your phone and then sends Monkey to the discipline office.)


    (You hear the voice of the exam invigtor in your mind.)


    (Invigtor: Mannered and rational, your rationality score increases by one point, and your emotionality score increases by one point.)


    (You have a pleasant conversation with the two brothers.)


    (Gao Da: Are you free tonight?)


    (You: Of course.)


    (Gao Da: Let''s earn some credits tonight by working at the school library.)


    (You: Sure.)


    (Gao Da hands you a letter of rmendation and tucks it into your pocket.)


    (You return to your dorm, and the night passes uneventfully.)


    (The void passage outside the dormitory opens again.)


    (You, along with the brothers Gao Da and Gao Qiang, head to the library.)


    (There''s a void before your eyes.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    As expected, once he left one building to head to another, the deduction no longer worked. The system''s malicious targeting was far too obvious.


    The rules once mentioned that choices would influence the subsequent development of the plot, but such effects weren''t immediate. It would take a while to see the changes.


    Gu Yi could only foresee the near future within a very limited scope; he couldn''t discern the long-term development at all.


    To understand the impact of choices on the plot, Gu Yi had only one method: to quickly advance the exploration of the story, gain opportunities tomunicate with the real world, and infer the impact of choices by understanding the development of other adventurers'' plots.


    The unknown dangers and the feeling of losing control over the plot of the dungeon made Gu Yi feel extremely uneasy.


    "Let''s top overthinking and deal with the matter at hand."


    Gu Yi stood up and left the dormitory.


    Chen Zeyu watched Gu Yi, scratching his head in curiosity, "Is this kid mentally ill?"


    ...


    In the real world.


    Apart from the adventurer from the "Kimchi Country" who initially suffered a mental breakdown and was expelled from the school, all other adventurers had sessfully settled in the dormitory.


    Upon entering the dormitory, two progress bars appeared above the head of every adventurer.


    One represented the Rationality score, and the other the Emotionality score.


    Many rookie adventurers, after entering the dormitory, simply stayed in their rooms, not daring to wander around, while some braver souls had already scurried around the corridors.


    After pondering for a while in his room, Gu Yi left immediately, hiding around the corner of the staircase, using his phone to capture something.


    "Look! Gu Yi is on the move."


    "He must have foreseen some plot developments, right?"


    "Look at Chris, he seems to be moving too."


    Chris sat in his dormitory, staring intently at the ceiling, probably receiving some sort of hint from his intuitive powers. However, unlike Gu Yi, he justyfortably on his bed and slept.


    Before long, Monkey made a move.


    Gu Yi captured the entire process of Monkey stealing, and then smoothly resolved the conflict between Monkey and the Gao brothers.


    "Look, the progress bars on Gu Yi''s head have increased."


    "That''s right, and both bars increased equally."


    "Chris'' bars have increased too."


    "Look closely. Only Chris'' rationality bar increased. His emotionality bar actually decreased."


    "What do these two progress bars actually mean?"


    Chris was lying in his dorm room, having heard the ruckus from the restroom for a while, but he remained unmoved, just lying on his bed with an indifferent expression.


    The noise from the fight in the restroom grew louder, and Chris even leaned against the doorframe to watch, seemingly taking pleasure in others'' misfortune.


    Chris''s emotionality score decreased once again.


    Dragon Country Strategy Team.


    Qu Kangping was staring intently at the monitor when Ah Jian came up to him to report.


    "Leader, arrangements for Gu Yi''s family have been made."


    "Mm, have the details on Chris been collected?"


    "Yes," Ah Jian frowned, "This kid... he''s nothing but scum."

 Chapter 113: Murderer? Savior?

    <h4>Chapter 113: Murderer? Savior?</h4>


    Chris hailed from Lighthouse Country, Gotham City.


    He was an infamous serial killer. He stormed into a kindergarten, shot and killed 7 little boys and 13 little girls, severely injuring two teachers and a security guard.


    Last month, he voluntarily surrendered to the police.


    During his trial, in hopes of getting a lighter sentence, he put on a remorseful act, shifting the me onto alcohol.


    ording to localw, being intoxicated was seen simrly to being mentally ill, implying the brain was not in control. Thus, if a crime wasmitted while intoxicated, the sentence would be reduced.


    Due to intoxication and being underage at the time of the crime, Chris, who murdered twenty children, was sentenced to only 20 years in prison.


    After entering prison, he didn''t get along with his fellow inmates.


    Once, in the shower room, Chris fashioned a weapon using soap and socks, nearly killing a fellow inmate.


    Local media and the families of the victims petitioned for him to be given the death penalty.


    But once the court had ruled, the sentence could not be changed.


    <strong>"I kill because I want to kill.</strong>


    <strong>History will remember my name, just like Jack the Reaper.</strong>


    <strong>I''ll serve my 20 years, and by the time I get out, I''ll only be in my thirties. My life would''ve just begun. Those who petitioned to have me executed... just wait and see."</strong>


    This statement was thest recorded during an interview with Chris.


    After Chris made this statement, he was taken by a portal into the weird world.


    Due to the controversy surrounding Chris''s case, localws were immediately revised, ensuring that crimesmitted under the influence of alcohol would no longer result in leniency.


    After reading about Chris''s background, Qu Kangping sighed, "Look at that, how simple-minded society is in Lighthouse Country."


    "Not just that, during his psychological evaluation, Chris scored 28 out of a possible 30 on the antisocial behavior scale. The guy is an absolute psychopath."


    "How ridiculous that Lighthouse Country is pinning its hopes on a murderer for salvation."


    "I don''t think this murderer necessarily came to save the country," Ah Jian shook his head, "Chris is clearly just enjoying the game. What''s more, because of his meticulous thinking and bold moves, he has gained a legion of fans in Lighthouse Country. Nobody talks about his murderous past anymore."


    "Rather than that, I''m more concerned about this current dungeon..."


    Qu Kangping pondered for a moment, then pulled out a notebook from his drawer.


    It documented every dungeon in the weird world. Qu Kangping flipped through, highlighting three dungeons with a red pen.


    "Have you discovered anything?"


    "Well... Captain, just tell it straight. I''m good at fighting, not at decoding."


    "Pay attention to the style of these three dungeons."


    "Style?"


    "Yes, each dungeon world has a different style. I never really understood the reason behind this. However, the information from Gu Yi about the host gave me some insight.


    Different hosts create dungeon worlds with different styles.


    For instance, Jin Xin likes to create a tangible, defeatable unspeakable entity and is fond of cing numerous instant death gs in the dungeons, adding various metaphors or stringent time and spatial locks.


    The host for today''s mission rarely has any tangible unspeakable entities, nor any perplexing metaphors. He particrly enjoys using psychological suggestions, gradually cornering adventurers with transparent schemes.


    In other words, you know his rules, you know the loopholes, you know where the dangers and traps are, but you still have to jump into the traps he has set for you.


    Do you remember the first trolley problem I mentioned?"


    "I remember."


    "If I were the host of the dungeon, I would definitely grant adventurers the ability to see the barrage ofments." Qu Kangping looked at the screen, pointing at Gu Yi, "Look, this kid''s mental state seems to be starting to falter."


    "If what you say is true... what should we do? We don''t have the technical means to block these negativements."


    "Track the source of thesements and lock them up temporarily. It''s the only thing we can do."


    ...


    "God of perseverance? Can you guys not overpraise in thements?"


    "So indecisive, I hate people like this. Only bored folks like you would watch Gu Yi pass the level."


    "Does he even have a brain? Why not just die at the start to clear the level? Hecks basic logical thinking, and yet some praise his intelligence? Dumb, so dumb, extremely dumb!"


    "If he dies, millions will be safe."


    "Gu Yi has a martyrplex. He definitely won''t pass this stage. Guys, I''m thinking of emigrating to Lighthouse Country!"


    "Hurry up andmit suicide. You can clear the level bymitting suicide. This is how the adventurer of Kimchi Country cleared the dungeon."


    "Quickly kill yourself, kill yourself, kill yourself!"


    Sitting in his dormitory, Gu Yi was constantly bombarded with a barrage of strangements shing before his eyes. He couldn''t discern whether thesements were from the real world or just deceitful tricks from the dungeon.


    "End yourself!"


    "End yourself!"


    "End yourself!"


    The overwhelming red barrage caused Gu Yi to tear out several strands of his hair in frustration. His eyes reddened, appearing as though they could explode at any moment.


    "Gu Yi?"


    "What?!"


    Gu Yi suddenly lifted his head, staring angrily at Chen Zeyu.


    Chen Zeyu stepped back in rm, "Uh... someone''s looking for you."


    Shaking his head, Gu Yi got up from his bed.


    Standing at the dormitory entrance were Gao Da and Gao Qiang, both wearing worried expressions as they looked at Gu Yi. "Bro, are you okay?"


    "You look pale. Are you sure you can go to the library with us?"


    "I''m fine."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, quickly using psychological suggestions on himself. The bothersome barrage finally disappeared from his view.


    Ever since dinner, these annoyingments would sporadically appear before him, roughly every ten minutes or so. After 6 p.m., the frequency of thesements increased, almost filling his view every minute.


    If Gu Yi didn''t use his skill to hypnotize himself, he feared he might be driven mad by thesements.


    Moreover, Gu Yi hadn''t deduced these negativements in his previous deductions. It was clear that this was a new rule, a sudden difficulty spike added by the host.


    Gao Da and Gao Qiang exchanged nces.


    "Alright, Gu Yi,e with us."


    "Do you have the letter of rmendation? Without it, you can''t enter the library."


    Smiling, Gu Yi nodded and pulled the letter from his pocket.


    The three walked side by side out of the dormitory building.


    Looking left and right, Gu Yi saw nothing but emptiness. The void path beneath their feet was just wide enough for the three of them to walk side by side.


    As the pathway opened, many students left the dormitory, all heading toward the library.


    "Remember to keep quiet in the library, don''t make any noise."


    "Our job is to organize the books. Make sure to arrange them in alphabetical order."


    "Section B of the library is off-limits. You mustn''t, absolutely mustn''t enter there. Don''t even nce at it more than necessary, understood?"


    "Understood."


    Gu Yi nodded,mitting every piece of advice from the Gao brothers to memory, and quickly summarized:


    <i>1. Stay quiet in the library and don''t make noise.</i>


    <i>2. Arrange books in alphabetical order.</i>


    <i>3. He absolutely, definitely, without a doubt, needed to find a way to visit Section B of the library at least once.</i>

 Chapter 114: Secrets of the Library (1)

    <h4>Chapter 114: Secrets of the Library (1)</h4>


    Gu Yi followed Gao Da and Gao Qiang to the library.


    There were already many students sitting at the tables reading. Other than the sound of flipping pages, Gu Yi couldn''t hear any other noise.


    Gao Da leaned close to Gu Yi and whispered softly, "You''ll work on aisles 11-20 to sort out the books. After an hour, we will meet up at the librarian''s office."


    Gu Yi nodded and gave a thumbs up.


    Gu Yi quickly moved to the 11th aisle and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (While organizing the books, you also observe your surroundings.)


    (Gao Da is organizing books in aisles 1-10, while Gao Qiang is at 21-30. They are focused on their task and aren''t paying attention to you.)


    (You discreetly sneak out.)


    (You arrive in the hallway and look at the library''syout to determine the location of Section B.)


    (The library has a T-shape, with Section A on the east, Section C on the west, and Section B on the north.)


    (You cross the hallway and approach the door to Section B.)


    (A librarian approaches and stops you with his hand.)


    (He doesn''t speak, but you hear his voice in your mind.)


    (Librarian: Section B is off-limits. Please step back.)


    (You try to use psychological suggestion, but the librarian''s mental strength is greater than yours, making it ineffective.)


    (You apologize and walk away from Section B.)


    (Recalling the library''s map, you exit from a side door in the corridor and head north.)


    (Reaching the outer wall of Section B, you notice several guards nearby.)


    (You realize their mental strength is weaker than yours.)


    (You rest briefly, waiting for your skill''s cooldown to finish.)


    (You apply psychological suggestion to one of the guards.)


    (He suddenly starts to argue with his colleague, then pulls out a stun baton and knocks him out.)


    (Taking advantage of his distraction, you sneak up behind the guard and stab him in the temple with a pen from your pocket.)


    (Both guards copse.)


    (You find the key to the back door of Section B on one of the guards.)


    (You throw the two guards into the void.)


    (A prompt from the invigtor rings in your mind.)


    (Invigtor: Cold and heartless. Rationality increases by 5 points, emotionality decreases by 5 points.)


    (You pause for a moment.)


    (This incident wasn''t a part of the system''s special plotline. However, if you leverage weird powers to bypass the rules andmit crimes, the invigtor will still grade you based on your actions.)


    (You decide to ignore this matter for now.)


    (Regardless, you need to find out what''s inside Section B and how to enter it properly.)


    (You unlock and open the back door with the key.)


    (As you enter Section B, you find that the space ispletely warped. Sometimes when you move forward, the surroundings also seem to move with you. You feel like you''re falling into an abyss, only to hit your head on the ceiling.)


    (Your spatial perception bes incredibly distorted.)


    (Closing your eyes, you randomly grab a book from the shelf.)


    (Civilization*£¤!)


    (****Dissipates***)


    (18*£¤fjc***)


    (The words in the book are all twisted together and nearly indecipherable. You can only make out a few isted words.)


    (The book repeatedly mentions terms like "humanity," "civilization," and "dissipation." Based on these keywords, you can''t deduce the book''s main topic.)


    (The chaotic space around you starts to stabilize.)


    (When you look up, you find yourself stuck inside a wall, unable to move forward or backward.)


    (The Section B librarian approaches and pulls a hammer from his pocket.)


    (Librarian: Don''t worry, I''ll get you out!)


    (The hammer hits you squarely on the head.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    He realized that Section B was closed to the public due to its chaotic space, and only the Section B librarian could move freely within it.


    To explore Section B, he would need abilities simr to the librarian''s.


    The librarian''s mental strength far exceeded his own, so trying to force his way in wasn''t an option. He would need to gather more information.


    The books in Section B might hold the truth about the dungeon world, which is why cognitive distortions were present. Before entering Section B, he might need a way to break through these distortions.


    Additionally, both the rooftop and the basement in the dormitory were off-limits and controlled by the void. There must be other tools in the school that could assist him in navigating through the void.


    With a clear direction in mind, the rest should be straightforward.


    <i>Knock, knock¡ª</i>


    A knocking sound drew Gu Yi''s attention.


    He turned to see the librarian from Section A staring at him, pointing at the bookshelf, urging him to work faster.


    Gu Yi nodded and swiftly arranged the books alphabetically. In less than half an hour, he had finished arranging all of them.


    Though he wanted to skim through the books during his spare time, he noticed both Gao Da and Gao Qiang working non-stop. Even after they had finished arranging the books, they kept dusting the shelves.


    Frowning, Gu Yi imitated them by picking up a duster, and then activated his talent once more.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You intentionally ck off by the bookshelf.)


    (The Section A librarian walks by you thrice, reminding you each time.)


    (The voice of the invigtor resounds in your mind.)


    (Invigtor: cking off. Rationality decreases by 1 point, Emotionality decreases by 1 point.)


    (As you expected, the Gao brothers didn''t exin all the rules. If you ck off during work to earn credits, the invigtor will deduct points.)


    (You check the time, realizing there are only twenty minutes left before your shift ends.)


    (Instead of pretending to work, you quickly skim through the books on the shelf.)


    (The books here are all about humanities and social sciences. You specifically look for history books.)


    (The history of this world is simr to that of Earth but differs slightly in details. Many historical figures have different namespared to Earth.)


    (You suspect this world might have some mapping rtionship with Earth.)


    (Your shift ends.)


    (You, along with Gao Da and Gao Qiang, approach the librarian.)


    (The librarian awards Gao Da and Gao Qiang 10 points, 5 points each for Rationality and Emotionality.)


    (Due to your cking off, you only earn 4 points, with 2 points each for Rationality and Emotionality.)


    (The librarian allows you some free time.)


    (You search around Section A for a while, but don''t find any books of interest.)


    (You proceed to the open Section C.)


    (A chill runs down your spine, causing a sudden unrest within you. You quickly use your skill to calm your emotions.)

 Chapter 115: Secrets of the Library (2)

    <h4>Chapter 115: Secrets of the Library (2)</h4>


    (Students in Section C don''t seem any more numerous than those in Section A, but you notice that their expressions are incredibly vacant.)


    (You suspect that this might have something to do with the weird energy permeating Section C.)


    (Low ceilings, dim lighting, and deep, long corridors.)


    (Such a stifling and silent atmosphere, even without the weird forces, would be enough to unsettle anyone entering this section.)


    (You wander between the bookshelves in Section C.)


    (The books on these shelves are more numerous than in Section A, but you can''tprehend the text within them.)


    (Atst, on the final shelf of Section C, you discover a unique book.)


    (Between its pages, there''s a slip of paper. Picking it up, you see handwritten sentences on it, with a style identical to what you found in your pencil case earlier.)


    (<strong><i>[If a human''s weighs 3.5 kilograms, how much would a civilization weigh?]</i></strong>)


    (You frown in confusion.)


    (It''s impossible for a human to weigh only 3.5 kilograms.)


    (And how can one weigh a concept as abstract as civilization?)


    (Unable to find an answer, you flip open the book, only to find its pages entirely empty.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Um... It seems that I have to see that book for myself."


    Gu Yi picked up the feather duster and continued to wipe the dust off the bookshelf.


    ...


    Inside the real world.


    The strategy team of Dragon Country is tracking all the people barraging negativements, but there are too many people sending thesements. The strategy team simply didn''t have enough manpower to deal with them, so they had to ask the police for help.


    The negative energy spread more and more. For a while, the screen was full ofments saying "Die".


    "Sigh¡ª It''s hard to understand."


    "That''s mob mentality for you."


    Qu Kangping sighed.


    At this time, Gu Yi was working intently in the library, and the barrage ofments was still full of abuses.


    "Die, and a million families will be safe!"


    "Die, and a million families will be safe!"


    "Die, and a million families will be safe!"


    Qu Kangping frowned. He couldn''t block thesements. asionally, a few people would speak up for Gu Yi, but theirments would be immediately overwhelmed by the trolls.


    "Leader, do you think fanatics might have sneaked in?"


    "I think so too," Qu Kangping said. "They know we''ve caught Jin Xin, so they will definitely retaliate. Attacking people in thements is one of their usual tricks. Communicate with Hu Chang and ask him to intensify the investigation."


    "Yes."


    Gu Yi kept working in the library without much intrigue, so Qu Kangping had to check the situation in other countries.


    Most adventurers chose to study in libraries. They searched between the bookshelves without any findings.


    An adventurer from the Sakura Country awakened a power-rted talent. He went alone to challenge the librarian of Section B and sessfully defeated him, entering Section B.


    However, he got lost in Section B, leading to a mental breakdown, and he actually used a hammer to smash his own head.


    Many citizens of the Sakura Country cheered and rejoiced because whether the adventurer seeded in revealing the truth or died halfway, they didn''t have to worry about being invaded by weird powers.


    Qu Kangping shook his head, feeling sorry for the sacrificed adventurers. He believed that the weird world wouldn''t be so kind, and it''s unlikely that if an adventurer died, people in the real world wouldn''t face any consequences.


    There must be some conspiracy.


    The dungeon had just started, and Qu Kangping couldn''t make much sense out of it.


    Qu Kangping then turned his attention to the Lighthouse Country. Surprisingly, Chris, contrary to everyone''s expectations, chose to stay in the dormitory building while everyone else went to the library.


    ...


    "Chris, you''re a beast!"


    "You better die in this world, your death would be a contribution to all of humanity."


    "Die quickly, die quickly!"


    Like Gu Yi, Chris could also see the barrage ofments from the real world.


    However, he didn''t care about the insults at all.


    On the contrary, the more viciously these people cursed, the more excited Chris became.


    "Shortsighted, ignorant, weak, and pathetic."


    Chris smirked, enjoying thements in his field of view, and headed toward Monkey''s room. He kicked the dormitory door open and dragged Monkey out of his bed.


    "Get out, yellow-skinned monkey!"


    "Ouch! Let go!"


    Monkey looked at Chris in terror.


    "Did you steal my wallet?"


    "Steal your wallet? Don''t falsely use me!"


    "When I say you stole my wallet, it means you stole my wallet."


    "What do you want, stop it, mmm¡ª"


    Chris covered Monkey''s mouth with one hand, and with the other, he grabbed Monkey''s neck and began heading downstairs.


    Most people in the dormitory had gone to the library to study, and the rest were mostly resting in their rooms. No one saw Chris abducting Monkey.


    Chris arrived at the basement door and kicked it open.


    The stairs led straight down, seemingly bottomless.


    Chris closed his eyes, and under his spiritual vision, the details of the basement became clear. Right in the middle of the basement was a thick dictionary, which was surely the plot item required to clear the dungeon.


    "Monkey, do me a favor," Chris said with a grin, "Go down there and fetch something for me. As long as you''re fast enough, you''ll be fine."


    "Mmm¡ª."


    Monkey kept waving his hands, eyes filled with terror. He had just been beaten by Gao Da and Gao Qiang, both of his eyes were swollen. Tears streamed from between his swollen eyelids.


    "You won''t go?"


    Chris pressed Monkey against the wall, took out a pen from his pocket, and aimed it at Monkey''s eye.


    The tip of the pen was almost touching Monkey''s swollen eyelid, and he screamed out in fear.


    "I can''tst more than a second in the void! I''ll definitely die!"


    "That''s fine, I can help youst five seconds down there. I just need you to run to the basement and bring me the dictionary in the middle."


    "What dictionary?"


    "Stop talking nonsense and just go!"


    Chris grabbed Monkey and pushed him down the stairs.


    Monkey screamed as he fell.


    Chris smirked, and suddenly twenty evil spirits appeared behind him, 7 boys and 13 girls. Each of the spirits looked no older than 5 years.


    The twenty spirits chattered as they passed through Monkey''s body, making him shiver uncontrobly.


    "What the hell?"


    Monkeynded on the ground.


    He noticed that the twenty spirits had pushed the voids to both sides, leaving a pathway for him. However, the tidal waters of the void blocked his way back.


    "You only have five seconds, hurry up!"


    Chris''s voice echoed from above.


    Monkey yelled and dashed to the middle of the basement, where he indeed found the dictionary on the floor.


    "I found it!"


    Holding the dictionary, Monkey ran back.


    The spirits cleared the way for him, but the bluish glow on them dimmed progressively.


    "Help! Save me!"


    "You have three seconds left. Three ¡ª two ¡ª one!"

 Chapter 116: Secrets of the Library (3)

    <h4>Chapter 116: Secrets of the Library (3)</h4>


    "No, don''t abandon me, I''m almost there!"


    "Quick, throw the dictionary over!"


    "Ah¡ª"


    The twenty spirits suddenly dispersed, and the tides of the void surged forward.


    Monkey, defenseless against the onught of the void, was instantly torn apart.


    The dictionary dropped to the ground, continuously eroding from the void''s effects. Chris''s arm reached through the barrier, grabbing the dictionary at an astonishing speed.


    "Ugh, that''s disgusting!"


    Chris''s arm was battered and torn, but once the cooldown of his spirit summoning ability was over, the injuries would quickly heal. He examined the dictionary he had retrieved.


    All the words on it were iprehensible. It seemed to be a codebook for decoding.


    "Showing cruelity and breaking promises. 5 emotionality points would be deducted."


    The voice of the invigtor rang in Chris''s mind.


    "Ah... stop deducting, I''m already in the negatives."


    Chris left with the dictionary and headed back to his dorm to rest and replenish his spent mental energy.


    ...


    Gu Yi finished his work in the library. He, along with brothers Gao Qiang and Gao Da, went to the librarian''s office.


    The librarian registered the three of them and awarded them academic credits.


    Currently, both Gu Yi''s emotionality and rationality scores were 6 points.


    "You are free to go now, but remember to keep quiet."


    "Thank you, teacher."


    The three nodded in gratitude and gently opened the door to the office.


    Gu Yi bid farewell to the two brothers and headed straight to Section C. Annoying noises reached his ears, and negative bulletments floated before his eyes.


    "Chris next door already found clues to the basement. Why is Gu Yi still in the mood to read here?"


    "Trash, real trash."


    "I''ve never seen such a stupid adventurer."


    "Just die, we''re satisfied with just a normal level clearance."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, and the bulletments turned into echoing voices in his head. He took two deep breaths and used psychological suggestion on himself again to block out thements.


    "I really want to kill them!"


    With bloodshot eyes, Gu Yi stared at the floor, muttering angrily to himself.


    Students around him looked at Gu Yi curiously. Only then did he realize he was in the library.


    Luckily, the students and librarian just gave him a nce and didn''t make a big deal of it.


    Gu Yi covered his mouth and rested at a table for a while, frightened by his earlier violent thoughts.


    "Calm down... calm down..."


    He mentally cheered himself on.


    All of this was the conspiracy of the weird world. They behaved this way to make him lose hope in humanity.


    The warning Jin Xin gave himself in the real world was like a seed nted in his heart, and everything that happened in this dungeon was like fertilizing and watering that seed.


    Gu Yi believed that all the bulletments in front of him were indeed the thoughts of many people in the real world.


    <i>¡ª They really want him dead!</i>


    "Should I end my life?"


    "Maybe I should..."


    "Do it!"


    The effect of the psychological suggestion had worn off.


    The gloomy whispers echoed once more in Gu Yi''s mind. He took out a pen from his pocket, removed its cap, and slowly pointed it towards his own eyeball.


    <i>No!</i>


    <i>Wake up!</i>


    Gu Yi suddenly lifted his head and dropped the pen just in the nick of time. His immense mental strength and will to live once again overcame the weird force.


    Breathing heavily, he safely stored the pen in his pocket.


    <i>Something was off, something was definitely wrong!</i>


    <i>Is it because of the environment here?</i>


    Gu Yi didn''t dare to stay in Section C any longer. He quickly stood up, located that peculiar book on the shelf, and stashed the handwritten note in his pocket. Holding the book, he approached the counter and checked it out.


    Gu Yi sat down by a desk, taking a look around.


    Next to him was an elderly teacher engrossed in a book. He was using a magnifying ss and was reading, word by word, from a bookrger than his own head.


    After waiting for his skill to cool down, Gu Yi immediately used it on himself.


    Finally, all was calm before him.


    He opened the book, and it turned out to be a manual on how to concoct magical potions.


    On the first page of the book was a potion named "Void Walk".


    <i>[Void Walk: Allows you to traverse the void without being attacked by it,sts for 10 seconds.]</i>


    <i>[Ingredients: 100ml of fresh blood, one dream fragment.]</i>


    The content on the following pages of the book was blurred and unreadable, only the first page could be read.


    Gu Yi didn''t know what a dream fragment was at the moment, but this at least provided him with a direction and a way to think.


    Without the disturbance of bulletments and whispers, Gu Yi finally had time to think calmly. He took out a piece of paper and pen from his pocket and wrote down all the clues he had gathered and the mysteries that still needed solving.


    <i><strong>Known clues:</strong></i>


    <i>1. The rules for scoring.</i>


    <i>2. Essential items to progress the story can be found in the dormitory''s basement, the rooftop, and library''s Section C.</i>


    <i>3. The method of walking in the void.</i>


    <strong><i>Unsolved mysteries:</i></strong>


    <i>1. How to obtain a dream fragment.</i>


    <i>2. The cause of his mental breakdown.</i>


    Gu Yi folded the top half of the paper and only looked at the two unsolved mysteries.


    The method of obtaining the dream fragment wasn¡¯t urgent for now. The most important thing was to solve the issue of his mental breakdown.


    The situation earlier was too dangerous. When his mind was breaking down, he couldn''t do anything; his only thought was to end his life.


    If it was just because Section C''s environment was too oppressive, and the bulletments were too negative, it would not be enough to break him.


    There must be something he overlooked.


    Leaning back in his chair, Gu Yi looked at his school uniform. It wasn''t until he focused his mental power that he realized the secret of his uniform. Taking it off, he snatched the magnifying ss from the teacher next to him and examined the patterns on the uniform.


    Hanging.


    Slitting wrists.


    Beheading.


    The patterns on the uniform were all violent and bloody images. No wonder he always felt uneasy wearing it.


    "Student..." The elderly teacher whispered to Gu Yi, "Are you done with the magnifying ss?"


    "I''m sorry."


    Gu Yi quietly apologized and returned the magnifying ss.


    There was no good solution.


    Even if he didn¡¯t wear the uniform, seeing other students wearing it, with those patterns, would subtly affect his mental state.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly ask other students not to wear their uniforms, could he?


    Gu Yi had no choice but to constantly use psychological suggestions on himself to alleviate the mental stress. He would rather face off against giants and unspeakable''s horror than endure this torturous mental agony.


    "Students, the library will close in 10 minutes. The Void Passage will disappear in 20 minutes. Please return to your dormitories as soon as possible."


    The librarian stepped forward, speaking softly.


    Students in the library began to pack up their stationery and books, lining up to leave. Gu Yi wrapped the potion book in his school uniform, cradling it in his arms, and followed the others out.


    He decided never to wear the school uniform again.

 Chapter 117: Mob Mentality (1)

    <h4>Chapter 117: Mob Mentality (1)</h4>


    In the real world.


    A keyboard warrior sat in front of his monitor, casually scratching his foot while watching a livestream.


    At this moment, the camera captured the scene where Gu Yi was about to stab himself in the eye. The keyboard warrior got excited and began typing furiously.


    "Hurry, stab it!"


    "Just die already, Gu Yi!"


    <i>Thud, Thud, Thud!</i>


    There was a knock at the door.


    The keyboard warrior put down his mouse and went to the door.


    "Who is it?"


    "Delivery."


    "So soon?"


    The keyboard warrior scratched his head and opened the door.


    Ah Jian, leading a team of special agents, burst into the room, pinning the keyboard warrior to the ground without a word.


    "Stay still! What''s your name?"


    "He Qiangqiang!" The keyboard warriory on the floor, pale with fear, "What are you doing? Who are you?"


    "Special agent of the Dragon Country''s Strategy Team."


    Ah Jian showed He Qiangqiang his badge.


    The other agents went into the rooms to search, "Brother Jian, there''s no one else in the room."


    "What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?" He Qiangqiang said defiantly, "I''m not a fanatic. I don''t have any forbidden items. On what grounds are you arresting me?"


    "Why? That''s for you to reflect upon."


    The agents grabbed He Qiangqiang and led him out.


    Ah Jian and the remaining agents continued to search the room, trying to find any clues that might link the suspect to the fanatics or suggest he had been paid off.


    In just one minute, He Qiangqiang had sent hundreds of hatefulments, visible in live broadcasts around the world. That''s why Ah Jian personally led the team to apprehend him.


    "Brother Jian, this is the suspect''s phone. We''ve checked the transaction records, and there''s no suspicious money transfer in the past month."


    "I''ve searched here too and found no forbidden items. We can basically rule out the possibility that he''s a fanatic."


    Ah Jian scratched his head in confusion.


    He sat down at theputer and turned it on.


    Turns out, He Qiangqiang had created dozens of ounts, constantly moving between various live broadcasts. On hisputer was a software called "Bullet Comment Bot."


    Using the Bullet Comment Bot, one can send a hundredments in a minute. Combined with He Qiangqiang''s many ounts, this created the effect of sending hundreds ofments in a short time.


    "Sigh..."


    Ah Jian sat in front of theputer, sighing in exasperation.


    "Sometimes, I really wish these people were paid to do this."


    "What do you mean?"


    "If they were paid, it means they see trolling as a job and at least there''s some kind of a valid reason." Ah Jian pointed at theputer, "But what''s truly terrifying are people like He Qiangqiang. He trolls out of pure enjoyment. He just wants to see adventurers fail and the world end. Fundamentally, he''s no different from the fanatics."


    Ah Jian stood up and pped his hands, "Let''s secure the evidence. We have another keyboard warrior to find."


    ...


    "Drop dead!"


    "Kill yourself! Kill yourself! Kill yourself!"


    "Trash, useless!"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, once again confronted by a negative barrage of messages.


    "Inhale ¡ª exhale ¡ª"


    Gu Yi pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself with some psychological suggestions.


    Today was the second day of the exams. The barrage of messages before Gu Yi''s eyes had reduced somewhat, but they still appeared at the most inopportune times.


    After finishing his morning routine, Gu Yi returned to his dorm room, only to find that Chen Zeyu had left without a word.


    His roommate was quite an introvert.


    However, Gu Yi didn''t say much. After all, these people were just temporarypanions on his journey. He picked up his school uniform, examination admission ticket, and stationery and headed to the lobby on the first floor.


    Outside the door, a portal was slowly opening.


    At the end of this portal was the teaching building.


    "The portal will open soon," the dormitory''s supervisor announced. "Before entering the examination room, you need to give up something of great importance to you."


    Many students showed expressions of reluctance.


    The supervisor aunt approached Gu Yi.


    After a moment of silence, Gu Yi pointed to his beloved motorcycle. "I''ll give it up."


    "Very well."


    The supervisor aunt nodded.


    Gu Yi pursed his lips and closed his eyes, hearing the sound of his motorcycle disintegrating.


    "You can head to the teaching building now. Also, remember to wear your school uniform at all times while in school."


    "I understand."


    Gu Yi nodded and, albeit unwillingly, did as told.


    The outside air was chilly, but fortunately, he had dressed in advance.


    Following the crowd, Gu Yi entered the examination hall. The invigtor stood at the podium, distributing exam papers to each student''s desk.


    Looking down, Gu Yi realized that both sides of the paper were nk, not a single word on them.


    "The examination hasn''t started yet. Please wait for the bell to ring before you pick up your pens," said the invigtor.


    Hearing this, Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You hear the bell ring.)


    (You pick up the pen.)


    (There''s nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi was taken aback. He hadn''t expected that after the start of the exam, he would actually be transported to another space?


    <i>Ding Ding Ding!</i>


    The examination bell rang.


    The students around him picked up their fountain pens one by one, holding them aloft, staring nkly at the exam papers.


    Imitating them, Gu Yi picked up his fountain pen. Immediately, he felt a dizzying sensation, and everything around him underwent a dramatic transformation.


    He couldn¡¯t control his body or use any skills. He could only listen and watch.


    The invigtor''s voice echoed.


    <i>"Final examinations begins."</i>


    <i>"Subject One: Public Opinion Exam."</i>


    <i>"Exam Requirements."</i>


    <i>"1. Please answer using a ck ink pen or fountain pen. If neither works, please use fresh blood."</i>


    <i>"2. Once an answer is set, it cannot be changed. Answer with caution."</i>


    <i>"3. This exam adopts a dream simtion approach. The exam duration is 24 hours. The passage of time here does not synchronize with reality. Allocate your time wisely. Everything that happens in this dream will not affect reality."</i>


    <i>"4. Test-takers need to achieve a reversal in public opinion during the exam, steering it in a direction favorable to you."</i>


    <i>"5. The maximum score for this exam is Emotionality: 10 points, Rationality: 10 points. If the total score exceeds 12 points, the test-taker will receive a dream fragment as a reward."</i>


    <i>"The exam will officially begin once the test-taker says ''Begin''."</i>


    Instead of rushing to start, Gu Yi quickly scanned his surroundings.


    He was in the school cafeteria, with a long line before him. Everyone was queued up, waiting to get their meals.


    Taking the exam requirements literally, he was currently in a dream, and everything he did within this dream was essentially him answering the exam.


    What puzzled him was:


    Requirement number one, "Use a ck ink pen or fountain pen to answer". This was consistent with the instructions on the exam admission ticket. But since it''s a dream simtion, why would he need to use a "pen", or even "fresh blood"?


    After pondering for a moment and realizing he couldn''t gather any more information, Gu Yi decided.


    "Let''s begin!"

 Chapter 118: Mob Mentality (2)

    <h4>Chapter 118: Mob Mentality (2)</h4>


    As soon as Gu Yi said ''begin'', all the students around him began to move.


    The aroma of the food in the cafeteria wafted into his nostrils, making his mouth water.


    Holding his tray, Gu Yi didn''t rush to move. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to deduce the situation.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You hold the tray, feel your clothes, and find a fountain pen in a hidden pocket on your chest pocket.)


    (You ce the pen where it can be easily reached.)


    (You follow the line slowly.)


    (You look around the cafeteria to see if there are any hint notes or math problems to solve when ordering food.)


    (You discover it''s just a very ordinary university cafeteria.)


    (You continue to follow the line and casually select some food.)


    (You return to your seat.)


    (A girl suddenly approaches and blocks your way.)


    (Girl: Why did you touch my butt?)


    (You: When did I touch you?)


    (Girl: Just now, you pervert.)


    (You: I didn''t. Both my hands were holding the tray. How could I have touched you?)


    (Girl: You did touch me. Typical pervert. Disgusting!)


    (The girl mutters and walks away, taking a couple of pictures of you.)


    (You frown and sit down.)


    (You feel the ink pen in your pocket getting hot and take it out.)


    (A third of the ink has disappeared.)


    (You blink, and suddenly it''s evening.)


    (You enter your dormitory. Your roommates point at you and whisper.)


    (Roommate A: Never expected this from you. So, you''re a pervert now?)


    (Roommate B: Gross. Don''t hang out with us anymore.)


    (Roommate C: You can never truly know someone.)


    (You: I didn''t do anything wrong. Who told you this?)


    (Roommate A: It''s all over the forum.)


    (You turn on yourputer and log into the university''s forum.)


    (You find your photos posted at the top of the forum. Thements below are all usations and insults aimed at you.)


    (Men are all the same.)


    (I suggest the university establishes separate cafeterias for men and women.)


    (Why do we even admit such scum into our university?)


    (You ponder for a moment and then start to post on the forum.)


    (You: Please don''t just listen to one side of the story. I never had any physical contact with this female ssmate. And as everyone saw, I was getting food in the cafeteria at the time, holding a tray. How could I have harassed anyone?)


    (After you posted, you received a bunch of replies.)


    (Look at this guy, even holding a tray he can''t help himself.)


    (Disgusting.)


    (Scumbag, get out of our university.)


    (You realized that defending yourself was futile.)


    (The pen in your hand became hot again, and you noticed that another third of the ink had disappeared.)


    (You''ve figured out the rules of the dream simtion. When you face challenges in the dream, no matter what actions you take, it consumes ink. Once the ink ispletely used up, you will lose the qualification to take the test.)


    (But what does it mean to answer with "fresh blood"? You hadn''t quite figured that out.)


    (You still have a third of the ink left, and you need to find a stronger countermeasure.)


    (You went to the university''s security room and requested the CCTV footage.)


    (You found the footage from the daytime.)


    (The footage clearly showed that there was no physical contact between you and the female student.)


    (You quickly posted the footage on the university forum to prove your innocence.)


    (You: This is the surveince video I borrowed from the university. It clearly shows that I did not have any physical contact with that female student. She ndered me. I request you to delete your post and apologize publicly on the forum, or I won''t let this go.)


    (After a while, your post became the top one.)


    (Don''t blow things out of proportion, it''s just a misunderstanding.)


    (She wronged you, just let her apologize privately. Why make her apologize publicly on the forum? She''s a girl and has her pride.)


    (Exactly, don''t make a mountain out of a molehill, why make such a big fuss?)


    (You read through thements, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement.)


    (Finally, the female student who used you spoke up.)


    (Why don''t you show the full video instead of clipping parts of it? There are blind spots in that surveince footage. Don''t I know whether I was touched or not? Are you in cahoots with the university''s leadership? Using a fake video to deceive people? You''re a liar, a pervert, and a total thug!)


    (Shortly after, a group of studentsmented below the post.)


    (So, it''s a clipped video? The poster sure knows how to y.)


    (Ladies, stay away from men like this. He acts without admitting, tantly harasses and then deflects the me on the victim?)


    (@universityLeadership: Expel this scum from the university immediately!)


    (Your pen became hot again.)


    (You took a look and saw the ink had run dry.)


    (The voice of the invigtor echoed in your ear.)


    (Invigtor: The test is over. Your final scores are - Emotionality: 3 points, Rationality: 5 points.)


    (Your vision became hazy.)


    (The simtion ended!)


    "What the hell, is this a university forum or a trashy novel?"


    Gu Yi bit his lip.


    In this extremely biased public opinion environment, winning an argument seemed impossible. The opponent was a master maniptor of emotions. Once everyone''s emotions were stirred up, nobody would care about the truth.


    What would happen if he somehow "skipped usation" and avoided the girl?


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You''re holding a tray, scanning through the crowd, quickly locating the female student.)


    (You used a psychological suggestion on her.)


    (She paused for a moment in line before immediately turning and leaving the cafeteria.)


    (You stopped lining up, ced down your tray, and left the cafeteria in the opposite direction, trying to avoid the female student.)


    (Just as you reached the exit, another female student stopped you.)


    (Girl: Don''t leave.)


    (You: What do you want?)


    (Girl: I lost my wallet. I saw you acting suspiciously in the crowd. I suspect you stole it.)


    (You realized what was happening.)


    (Even if you escaped the harassment usation, the system would immediately conjure a theft allegation. The "skipping usation" approach was wed.)


    (You: If you lost your wallet, you should report it to the police, not use me.)


    (Girl: I lost my wallet at the cafeteria entrance, and only you passed by me at that time. You are the only one who could steal my wallet.)


    (You: Don''t make usations without evidence.)


    (You dialed the police in front of her.)


    (You: Let''s wait for the police to sort this out. I won''t say anything until they arrive.)

 Chapter 119: Mob Mentality (3)

    <h4>Chapter 119: Mob Mentality (3)</h4>


    (You and a girl are standing at the entrance of the cafeteria when a police car arrives.)


    (The police take you both back to the station for questioning.)


    (With a sh, you''re back in your dorm room. You pick up your pen to find it''s only a third full of ink.)


    (Your roommates are looking at you strangely, and they''re all avoiding you in subtle ways.)


    (You immediately turn on yourputer.)


    (This time, the girl who lost her wallet didn''t post about it at the university''s forum but chose to speak up on Webo, a popr social media tform. Her post went viral overnight.)


    (#ThiefAtWapengUniversity#, #UnjustWapengPolice#)


    ( Wapeng University''s Gu Yi, I won''t let you off for stealing my wallet. I said you stole it because I have evidence. Just because I''m not a local doesn''t mean you can bully me. )


    ( The police are lying in in sight. Just because I''m not from here, they don''t want to catch the thief. )


    ( People say that Wapeng is a friendly city to outsiders. Is this how you treat all non-locals? Do you just ignore them when they lose something? )


    (You scratch your head.)


    (Thements section is chaotic. Students from other regions are collectively pointing fingers at the locals of Wapeng.)


    ( "Enough said, everyone from Wapeng is a thief." )


    ( "Our Wapeng roommate is super stingy." )


    ( "Here''s a joke, Wapeng''s security is the best in the country." )


    (You create an ount on Webo to defend yourself, but your post doesn''t gain any traction.)


    (The girl smartly turned the lost wallet incident into an issue of "regional discrimination," sparking anger amongizens.)


    (Now, people are less concerned about who the thief is and more focused on using the issue to air grievances.)


    (Then, you receive a call from your counselor.)


    (You arrive at the principal''s office and, before entering, you discreetly turn on the recording function of your phone.)


    (Inside the principal''s office, not only is there the principal but also the girl who lost her wallet.)


    (The principal ces a disciplinary notice in front of you.)


    (Principal: "The University has decided to issue a notice of public criticism against you. Both the University''s image and Wapeng''s reputation have been tarnished because of this incident. )


    (You: I''ve been wrongly used. On what basis are you saying this? )


    (Principal: You''ve been taken to the police station, and the entire inte is using you. )


    (You: Just because I went to the police station doesn''t mean I''m guilty. The police didn''t even suspect me. Why are you listening to this girl''s side of the story only? )


    (Principal: But you definitely have affected our University''s reputation. )


    (You: This is unfair. )


    (Principal: I don''t care whether you stole the wallet or not. What I care about is that you have tarnished our University''s name. )


    (You: So, the University''s reputation is more important than an individual''s innocence? Just for this so-called reputation, you can tarnish me? Frame me? )


    (Girl: Stop pretending to be innocent, thief. )


    (You: Do you have evidence that I stole anything? )


    (Girl: Are you implying I''m lying? Why would I, a young girl, frame you? What benefit would I get from doing so? )


    (You: I did not steal anything, that''s it. )


    (Principal: Enough, both of you. How about this, youngdy? You delete your post and stop making any more posts, and he will apologize to you. And for you, just return her wallet, and I won''t issue a public criticism notice from the University. )


    (You: Principal, what kind ofpromise is this? I clearly didn''t steal anything. Why should I apologize to her? What wallet should I return? Let me ask again, do you have any evidence proving I stole something? )


    (Girl: Look at your attitude, so aggressive for a man. Definitely not trustworthy. Who knows what kind of tricks you pull regrly? )


    (You: If people can''t understand speech, then it''s a waste. I''ll take my leave. )


    (Exiting the principal''s office, you notice your pen''s ink is nearly depleted.)


    (You upload the recording on a popluar forum, with a provocative title.)


    ( [University''s Principal Ignores the Truth, Coerces Confession! For the so-called reputation of the institution, sacrifices justice and the innocence of students. Is the position more important than fairness and justice?] )


    (Comments flood in:)


    ( "Look, this is the true face of a woman." )


    ( "Does a woman need evidence to use a man? If I feel you stole from me, then you did steal from me." )


    ( "This damn principal isn''t even decent, why does he unterally favor the girl without any evidence? This isn''t a way to keep the peace." )


    ( "Don''t start with the gender opposition. The principal is abusing his power, is this even considered fairness and justice?" )


    (Your post has caused a huge stir.)


    (A fierce argument erupts across the two major social tforms,sting for a full 10 hours.)


    (Your exam time hase.)


    (The voice of the Invigtor echos in your ears.)


    (Invigtor: The exam is over, your final score is - Emotionality: 6 points, Rationality: 4 points. )


    (There is nothingness in front of your eyes.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    In this deduction, Gu Yi fought fire with fire, using magic against magic.


    When the opponent instigated gender opposition and regional discrimination, he continued to provoke public opinion in the "Popr Men''s Forum", letting the event ferment further.


    In the end, Gu Yi found that he couldn''t control the direction of public opinion at all.


    From the beginning, what started as regional discrimination turned into a male-female conflict, and finally into ss conflict. Although he scored 6 points for emotionality in the end, he only got 4 points for rationality.


    This showed that he really didn''t know what he was doing; public opinion had long since slipped out of his control.


    "This is so hard..."


    Gu Yi tapped his forehead, really unsure of what to do next.


    At this moment, the annoying barrage ofments appeared in front of him again.


    "Enough of this, enough! This idiot Gu Yi just stands there in a daze."


    "Look at Chris next door, he''s already made his move."


    "Exactly, why doesn''t he just make a move?"


    "die, die, die!"


    "Don''t overthink it, you don''t have a brain, right?"


    "If you can''t defeat them, just end yourself!"


    Gu Yi looked at the barragements in front of him, he didn''t feel angry, instead gained a hint of realization. "Right... so that''s what they mean to answer with blood."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again and began to deduce once more.


    ...


    "Why did you touch my butt?"


    "Huh?"


    Chris looked at the girl who falsely used him, still not understanding the situation.


    "Why did you touch my butt?"


    "Oh?" Chris didn''t argue back, but simply admitted, "I''m sorry, I was wrong, I didn''t mean to."


    "Pervert, scumbag, how could a scum like you exist in the University?"


    "I''m sorry, I apologize to you."


    "Hmph! Trash, you owe me 520 yuan, we''ll consider this matter settled. Otherwise, I''ll get the University to expel you!"


    Chris pretended to pat his pockets, "Oh dear, I don''t have that much money."


    "Then get ready to be expelled!"

 Chapter 120: Mob Mentality (4)

    Chris activated his spiritual vision, a skill that allowed him to determine if a person or object posed a threat to him.


    There was a yellow aura around the girl, indicating a moderate threat but nothing fatal.


    "Go."


    With a snap of his fingers, Chris summoned an evil spirit to follow the girl, while he continued to enjoy his meal in the cafeteria.


    Five minutester, he received a signal from the spirit.


    A vision of the girl typing at the edge of her bed appeared before Chris. She intended to post a small post on the University forum, using him of something.


    "So this is what they test in the Public Opinion Exam? It''s too simple. Why not just eliminate those who spread rumors?"


    While Chris'' evil spirit wasn''t mature enough to kill, it could induce hallucinations in ordinary people with weaker mental strength.


    Suddenly...


    As the rumor-spreading girl typed, she felt moisture in her palm. When she looked down, her phone case was oozing blood.


    "Ahhh!"


    She screamed and dropped her phone.


    Feeling a cold sensation at her ankle, she looked down to see a bloody hand gripping her tightly.


    "There''s a ghost! Stay away!"


    She kicked the hand away and ran towards the door. But in her panic, she mistakenly opened the window of her dormitory.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, she fell headfirst to the ground below, blood spattering everywhere.


    Chris reopened his eyes to find his pen was hot to the touch. Checking it, he saw a third of its ink had been consumed.


    Then, he heard the invigtor''s announcement.


    "Eliminating those who raise issues instead of addressing the issues themselves: Emotionality: 2 points, Rationality: 8 points."


    "Tch!" Chris sneered, "Emotions? It''s just some meaningless moral restraint. Fucking Virtue preachers. Thanks to them, I didn''t get the item reward."


    Shaking his head, Chris promptly left the examination hall.


    ...


    In the real world.


    Chris used his talent to kill the girl who spread rumors about him. Although he scored a high rationality score of 8 points, his emotionality score was just 2.


    However, thements from the Lighthouse Country''s live stream were in full celebration.


    "Good kill! That''s what she deserved!"


    "Chris is the hope of Lighthouse Country!"


    "Look at the others, they don¡¯t even dare to kill in this weird world. Worthless!"


    "Screw social values!"


    Qu Kangping watched thements, staying silent for a while.


    Other adventurers also passed the test, but most of them scored around 5 or 6 points. Scoring 8 was already considered a prodigious achievement.


    Given that the system awarded Chris with a score of 10, it indicated that his actions were in line with the rules of the dungeon world and even more sophisticated than the other adventurers.


    Qu Kangping then nced at thements from the Dragon Country''s side.


    People were still using Gu Yi, filling the screen with slurs, while Gu Yi stood still, pondering his strategy.


    Leader, the analysis fromst night is ready."


    "Bring it to me."


    Last night, Gu Yi had spent half an hour in the library reading a book. Qu Kangping knew Gu Yi was trying to convey certain information by doing so.


    The weird world shielded any text information unrted to the main storyline. The strategy team had to useplex techniques to decipher the text.


    Holding a cigarette, Qu Kangping picked up the report and read it carefully.


    The book Gu Yi held was a history book. Its contents were not too different from the history of Earth.


    "Gu Yi, are you implying... this dungeon world is also modeled after our Earth?"


    "Leader, should we proceed as we didst time?"


    "Where''s Ah Jian?"


    "Ah Jian is still tracking down keyboard warriors."


    "Forget about them. Let Ah Jian... No, don''t involve him in this.


    Have the police investigate for us. Find all the high schools that have experienced weird events, and then send our agents to inspect these schools on the spot. We must find the real-world counterpart of Wapeng High School."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Qu Kangping put down his cigarette, not taking a puff for a while. Looking at the report in his hand, he felt an unsettling sensation, but he couldn''t pinpoint the source of this feeling.


    "Leader, look! Gu Yi is making a move!"


    "Huh?"


    Qu Kangping quickly turned his head and took a deep drag from his cigarette.


    Like the other adventurers, Gu Yi was holding a tray, patiently waiting at the end of the queue.


    After he got his food, a girl approached him, visibly angry, and confronted Gu Yi.


    "Why did you touch my butt?"


    "I didn¡¯t." Gu Yi replied calmly, "Don''t falsely use me."


    "Falsely use you? Why would I, a girl, use such an incident to frame a loser like you?"


    "I didn''t touch you."


    "Trash, pervert, scumbag! I''ll ruin your reputation!"


    The girl raised her phone and took a picture of Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi, expressionless, sat down on a long bench in the cafeteria.


    Thements section was filled with slurs and insults.


    "You still won''t say a word after being insulted like this? Are you even a man?"


    "Damn it! Killing her on the spot would at least get 6 points."


    "I can''t watch anymore, he''s not a man. Let''s watch Chris instead."


    Qu Kangping mentally blocked out these insults, looking for thements that were cheering for Gu Yi. He found that the positivements only made up about 30% of the total.


    This situation was very abnormal.


    "If all these are just keyboard warriors or paid trolls, it''s too exaggerated. Ah Jian went to catch the culprits, so why hasn''t thement environment improved?"


    Qu Kangping frowned, attributing this phenomenon an influence of some weird force.


    Time flew quickly in the dungeon.


    Gu Yi sat in front of theputer, seriously reading a forum post.


    The camera quickly switched to show the content of the post.


    A girl named Li Zizhu posted on the forum.


    [#School Pervert#]


    [Today, I encountered a pervert in our university''s cafeteria. He touched my butt but didn''t admit it. I can''t understand why such a person could appear in our institution.]


    [Here''s his photo, does anyone know who he is?]


    [#1: A freshman from the Literature Department. He looked honest, but I didn''t expect him to be a pervert.]


    [#2: Hey, this is his social media profile.]


    [33: Just by looking at his profile, he seems like a loser.]


    [#4: Oh, so writing novels for a month and earning 1000 bucks is something to brag about? You might as well work as a waiter and earn at least four or five thousand a month.]


    [#5: I''ve read his novel. The protagonist is so annoying. Who would''ve thought the author was a pervert? No wonder the novels he wrote are so disgusting.]


    Gu Yi stared at the post in front of him with a faint smile on his lips. He began to type.


    [I am Gu Yi, a freshman from the Literature Department. I did not touch that girl. I don''t know how to prove my innocence, nor how to defend myself, but I am willing to die to prove my innocence.]


    At Night.


    Gu Yi picked up his phone and went to the riverside. He pointed his phone''s camera at himself.


    He opened the live-streaming app and waved at the camera.


    "Hello, everyone, I''m Gu Yi, a freshman from the Literature Department at Wapeng University. A senior at our school used me of harassing her, but I didn''t. To prove my innocence, I am willing to die."


    Gu Yi saw the increasing number of viewers on his livestream, showing a mysterious smile, and then turned and jumped into the water.

 Chapter 121: Mob Mentality (5)

    <h4>Chapter 121: Mob Mentality (5)</h4>


    <i>Ssh!</i>


    Gu Yi jumped into the water.


    "What''s that kid doing?"


    "Oh my God, he really jumped in!"


    Members of the strategy team watched the screen. Gu Yi sank like a stone to the bottom of the water and didn''t resurface for quite some time.


    "Why are you all panicking?" Qu Kangping said, with a cigarette in his mouth and smoke obscuring his face. "Gu Yi grew up by the river. Do you really think he''d drown? This is his tactic. Just wait and see."


    "The current is so fast. Even if Gu Yi is a good swimmer, he might not survive!"


    "What does it matter? Have you forgotten the test rules? This is a dream simtion. Whatever happens during the test won''t affect reality. Gu Yi would only do this if he was sure of himself."


    "Do you remember one of the rules written for the exam?


    <i>''Please answer using a ck ink pen or fountain pen. If neither works, please use fresh blood.''</i>


    Both Chris and Gu Yi understood the hint in the rules. ''Use fresh blood'' means one can kill. But while Chris chose to kill others, Gu Yi chose to kill himself."


    Qu Kangping snuffed out his cigarette and continued to stare at the screen.


    The camera was still focused on the turbulent river. Many passersby quickly called the police for help.


    However, the online hate didn''t stop.


    [Gu Yi is just showing off, right? I remember he knows how to swim.]


    [He''s reallymitting to this act, huh?]


    [Can you guys above show some decency? He''s been in the water for so long and hasn''t been rescued. I hope he''s okay.]


    [If Gu Yi dies, all of you engaging in this online attack are aplices.]


    [Gu Yi was willing to prove his innocence by risking his life, and you''re here making sarcastic remarks? Are you even human? To the girl who spread the rumor, Gu Yi dared to risk his life to prove his innocence, would you?]


    Seeing the situation deteriorating, the girl who made the original post deleted it overnight.


    However, the angryizens were far from satisfied.


    Overnight, the forum of Wapeng University was bombarded byizens from various websites. All of them pointed fingers at the girl who made the post, just as they had cyberbullied Gu Yi before.


    [Can people be judged without evidence? Now that Gu Yi is gone, are you inte judges happy?]


    [What was your motivation for framing Gu Yi? Don''t you have a conscience?]


    [I''m a reader of Gu Yi. From his writings, I can tell he''s a kind-hearted and upright kid. He could nevermit an indecent act against a girl. Even if he identally touched someone, I believe it was unintentional and a misunderstanding.]


    [Women can use men of indecency without evidence and a bunch of people believe it. Meanwhile, men, in order to prove their innocence, have to resort to suicide by jumping into a river? Is this the ending you cyberbullies wanted to see?]


    "Public opinion has truly shifted..."


    Members of the strategy team saw this oue. They should have felt happy, but they couldn''t muster a smile.


    Qu Kangping took out a new cigarette and didn''t light it for a long time, "Look at thements from theizens. Gu Yi really didmit suicide. The live broadcast never once showed Gu Yi, which further confirms it."


    "Why did this happen?"


    "I can''t believe it..."


    "This isn''t a good sign," Qu Kangping said with a furrowed brow. "It means Gu Yi has fallen into a trap. He''s been brainwashed by the dungeon, thinking that suicide is the solution. He could have hidden after jumping into the water, waiting for the exam to end, and the public opinion would still have shifted."


    "True, there must be more harmonious ways."


    "Maybe, but they wouldn''t score high. This dungeon from start to finish hints at the adventurermitting suicide, even suggesting that after suicide, one can sessfully clear the level. This is highly abnormal.


    We all know that when an adventurer dies, it means failure and a weird force will invade the real world. So, how could an adventurer still achieve a normal level clearance after dying?"


    "If you say it like this..."


    Everyone fell into deep thought.


    A young agent suddenly had an idea and made a bold guess, "What if... the invasion of the weird force and normal level clearance aren''t contradictory? What if the weird force invades because the adventurer died, not because they failed the level?"


    ...


    Inside the Weird World.


    The voice of the invigtor echoed in his mind.


    <i>"Proved innocence with death, Emotionality: 8 points, Rationality: 8 points."</i>


    Gu Yi had experienced death countless times, so drowning this time didn''t make him feel ufortable.


    He had once tried to fake his death in deductions.


    But in the end, he only scored 12 points, barely passing.


    Only bymitting suicide and having the police retrieve his body could Gu Yi achieve an excellent score of 16 points. He couldn''t think of any better way to pass the level.


    To earn more credits, Gu Yi had no choice but to truly die. He tied many heavy objects to himself, drowning himself in the water while also ensuring his body sank and wasn''t quickly washed away.


    He had tried to use his skill in deductions to manipte the users, urging them to give up their false ims against him. But once the duration of his skill ended, they would start all over again, cyberbullying him through other means.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, finding himself back in the exam room.


    The exam paper in front of him was filled with iprehensible text. The first third was written in ink, and thetter two-thirds were written in blood.


    At the moment, Gu Yi''s score was Emotionality: 14, Rationality: 14.


    "What a great death, die again!"


    "It would be even better if you truly died."


    "Drop dead, just die already!"


    The annoying barrage of messages appeared again. Gu Yi, now ustomed to them, skillfully used a psychological suggestion to block these pesky distractions.


    Yet he had to admit, that without these messages constantly urging him to die, he wouldn''t have achieved such a high score. The trolls provided the inspiration he needed to clear the level.


    "The exam is over; everyone stop writing."


    The moment the invigtor finished speaking, a bell rang.


    She stepped down from the podium and collected everyone''s exam papers.


    Just like the previous time, Gu Yi and the other students rested in the waiting room, exchanging experiences and insights.


    "This exam was tough."


    "Yeah, I think I can only score 12 points at most."


    "12 points is already good. Be content."


    Gu Yi tried to join the discussion, "How did you all answer?"


    "How did we answer? We guessed randomly."


    "In theory, you shouldn''t be concerned about such public opinions. The correct method is to kill that girl before the rumors spread. That way, your rationality score would be the highest."


    Gu Yi looked at the speaker and realized it was his roommate, Chen Zeyu. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "So youpletely gave up on the emotionality scores?"


    "You can''t have the best of both worlds. You must sacrifice one," Chen Zeyu replied without even looking at Gu Yi. "If you try to excel in everything, you''ll end up being good at nothing."


    Gu Yi remained silent.


    At this moment, the invigtor walked into the waiting room.


    "Student Gu Yi, your final score is 16 points. You have received a special reward. Please follow me to the office."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, deduced the situation in his mind to make sure there were no traps in the office, and then followed her.


    The invigtor took out a ck box and handed it to Gu Yi with both hands.


    "Congrattions on achieving an excellent score on this exam. This is your reward."


    "Thank you, teacher."


    Gu Yi took the box, and a system notification rang in his ear.


    <i>"Congrattions on sessfully passing the first exam."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate has been increased."</i>


    <i>"Current plot exploration rate is 17%."</i>

 Chapter 122: Even Thieves Have Honor

    <h4>Chapter 122: Even Thieves Have Honor</h4>


    Gu Yi returned to the dormitory andy on the bed to rest.


    It''s 4 o''clock in the afternoon. In two hours, the Void Passage will open. If he could still work at the library today, he would definitely go again.


    Both Gu Yi and Chen Zeyu received rewards of Dream Fragments. After getting the fragment, Chen Zeyu swallowed it right away.


    "Why did you eat it?"


    "If not eat, then what? Wait for it to somehow hatch?"


    Chen Zeyu rolled his eyes andy on the bed reading a novel.


    Gu Yi opened the box and nced at the Dream Fragment.


    It was a pink crystal, with a faint sweet scent.


    "Start deduction."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You swallowed the Dream Fragment.)


    (You don''t feel anything.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    Gu Yi scratched his head, not understanding why Chen Zeyu ate this thing.


    Is it because the natives of the dungeon are not of the same race as him? So, to them, the Dream Fragment is a tonic, but to him, it has no effect?


    "Never mind, don''t think about eating it. Better to experiment and see if the magical potion in the book works."


    Gu Yi shook his head and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You find a bottle, a small knife, a piece of white paper, and a clean white shirt in your dormitory.)


    (You hide in the toilet and close the door.)


    (You cut the palm of your hand with the knife, and drop the blood into the bottle until you collect 100 milliliters of blood.)


    (You tear the white shirt to bandage the wound.)


    (You throw the Dream Fragment into the bottle.)


    (You take out the paper, draw a magic circle ording to the book''s instructions, and stick it on the bottle''s mouth.)


    (After three minutes, you hear chaotic whispers in your ears.)


    (Using psychological suggestion, you sessfully resist this mental attack.)


    (Your face is somewhat pale.)


    (You pick up the bottle and tear off the white paper from its mouth. The blood has turned into a milky white liquide.)


    (You approach the basement.)


    (You look around, making sure no one is here.)


    (You open the door to the basement and swallow the liquid from the bottle.)


    (You feel your body be transparent.)


    (You step into the void.)


    (You quickly walk to the center of the basement and find a thick dictionary.)


    (You hurry back to the door.)


    (The time effect of walking in the voidsts for ten seconds, enough time for you to easily retrieve the dictionary from the basement.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    Previously in the barrage, Gu Yi learned that Chris had found clues in the basement, which is why he went to explore the basement immediately.


    If there are things in the basement, then there must be something on the rooftop too. He decides to explore the rooftop as well.


    However, since he used psychological suggestion during the deduction, he can only deduce it all over again.


    (Start deduction!)


    (You pick up the necessary tools and hide in the toilet.)


    (Your technique is more proficient than the first time, and you quickly prepare the potion.)


    (You climb to the top floor.)


    (The rooftop door is locked; you can''t open it.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself.)


    (With a kick, you break open the door.)


    (A storm from the void approaches you.)


    (You immediately drink the potion.)


    (You explore the rooftop.)


    (You find that the structure of the rooftop is as chaotic as library''s section B. Even if you can walk in the void, it''s challenging to explore smoothly within.)


    (Your potion''s effect wears off.)


    (You dissipate into nothingness.)


    (You have died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi reopened his eyes.


    It seems that the next exploration target should be the library. Only by figuring out how to solve the problem of spatial chaos can he sessfully explore the dormitory rooftop.


    He needs to gather all the avable tools first.


    Gu Yi picked up the necessary tools and entered the toilet.


    ...


    In the real world.


    "Why does this guy always like to run to the toilet?"


    "Maybe he has diarrhea?"


    "Hahaha..."


    In a certain inte cafe, a few punks typed away, even reading out the barragements without any sense of propriety.


    The cafe owner deeply despised these hooligans and had secretly alerted the police a while ago.


    Gu Yi and the cafe owner''s child were not far apart in age.


    While Gu Yi ventured in the Weird world, people in his own country mocked and cursed him behind his back. Anyone with a normal mind couldn¡¯t stand it.


    Ding-dong¡ª


    The bell at the cafe entrance rang.


    Ah Jian, leading a special agent team, arrived at the inte cafe. He looked around and went straight to the owner, showing him his credentials.


    "Dragon Country Strategy Team, Special Agent."


    "You''re here to catch those keyboard warriors, right?" The cafe owner blinked, pointing upstairs, "They are on the second floor, seats 43-48."


    "Give me their ID information."


    "They don''t have ID cards. They''re probably local high school students."


    "So you''re running an illegal inte cafe?"


    The owner awkwardly coughed twice, then dered righteously, "Sure, I might be running an unauthorized cafe, but I won''t stand for those kids ndering our heroes online. I''ll pay any fines when the timees, but these toxic keyboard warriors need to be dealt with."


    "Huh, a thief with principles." Ah Jian sneered, signaling his team, "Two of you, cover the front and back exits. The rest, follow me."


    The special agents'' presence drew the attention of many.


    They all dropped their mouse, staring in surprise at Ah Jian and his team.


    Ah Jian went straight up to the second floor and immediately spotted a blonde guy.


    He was wearing a blue school uniform with the badge of Xi Shan High School on his chest.


    Gazing at the badge, Ah Jian''s expression darkened. He walked over and tapped the shoulders of the group of high school students who were currently ndering Gu Yi in the live broadcast.


    "Enough."


    "What do you want?"


    One of the students didn''t look back and kept typing.


    "Are you Sun Xun? Nicknamed Blondie?"


    "Uh, what do you want with me?"


    "You are suspected of illegal activities. Come with us."


    "You''re telling me watching a live broadcast is now illegal?"


    When blondie turned and saw the badge on Ah Jian''s chest, his face went pale.


    "A... Special Agent?"


    "Good that you know. All of you,e with us."


    Ah Jian frowned, leading the few high school students out.


    To protect their privacy, he purposefully put ck hoods over their heads.


    This was the second day Ah Jian had personally led an operation to apprehend these online trolls.


    Despite their continuous efforts, the number of trolls online did not decrease.


    "Why are you badmouthing Gu Yi on the live broadcast?"


    Ah Jian had long since thought of Gu Yi as a younger brother. Seeing someone ndering him made Ah Jian angrier than anything else.


    Blondie smirked stubbornly, muttering, "If I want to nder, I''ll nder. None of your business..."


    Bang!


    Suddenly, Ah Jian pushed open the car door and dragged Blondie out. Removing the hood, he pinned Blondie against a wall andnded a punch square in his face, dislocating his nose.


    Blondie immediately cried out in pain, "Damn you..."


    Ah Jian ced a gun under Blondie''s chin.


    His teammates hurriedly got out of the car to restrain Ah Jian; this was the first time they had ever seen him so enraged.


    "Brother Ah Jian, calm down."


    "It''s fine. I know my limits."


    Ah Jian nodded at his teammates, calmly wiping away the blood from Blondie''s nose, and said with a smile,


    "In the era of ''Weird resurgence,'' ensuring the adventurers'' sessfulpletion of ''Weird World'' is the fundamental principle. Right now, you are suspected of endangering the life of an adventurer. ording to thew, we can kill you on the spot. Don''t mess with me. Understood?"


    Upon hearing this, the team members exchanged nces.


    This line....hadn''t they heard it somewhere before?

 Chapter 123: Universal Dictionary

    <h4>Chapter 123: Universal Dictionary</h4>


    "I was just trash-talking online, how did that endanger the safety of adventurers?"


    <i>p!</i>


    Ah Jian pped Blondie across the face.


    Blondie saw stars, his back mrs even felt loose.


    Ah Jian cocked his gun, the muzzle pressed against Blondie''s head, "I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense. The barrage bot was uploaded to the inte by you, right? Judging by your appearance, you''re just a high schooler. How did you manage to develop this kind of software?"


    Yesterday, Ah Jian brought He Qiangqiang''sputer to the strategy team.


    The barrage feature in the "Weird World" contains a mysterious power, so humans have not yet managed to block thesements. Just finding the method to locate the users who post the barrage took humans nearly three years to research.


    However.


    The "Barrage bot" on He Qiangqiang¡¯sputer possesses a certain mysterious property, and its technology surpasses the current level of humanputer science.


    It was obviously software developed by the fanatics using the weird power.


    "You...you...you dare to kill me!"


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Ah Jian pulled the trigger, shooting through Blondie''s thigh.


    "Ah Jian, have you lost your mind?"


    "This bullet is mercury-tipped!"


    His teammates looked at Ah Jian in shock.


    A mercury-tipped bullet could kill even a weird creature, let alone a regr human.


    "Ah-ah¡ª"


    Blondie, clutching his thigh, fell to the ground.


    The team members, rmed, rushed forward, but Ah Jian, his eyes bloodshot, bellowed, "Stay back! I''ll handle this."


    Ah Jian¡¯s usual authority held sway, and everyone remained silent on the sidelines.


    "Ah¡ªhelp!"


    Blondie wailed in pain. Ah Jian knelt down, once again pressing the gun to Blondie¡¯s head.


    "You heard earlier, right? The bullet I used is mercury-tipped. Now, mercury is flowing through your veins. If you don''t get to a hospital soon, you''ll be dead within half an hour.


    I don''t know what those people promised you, probably some nonsense about immortality. But if you don¡¯t speak now, you''ll die immediately."


    Tears streaming down his face, Blondie stuttered, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''ll tell you everything.


    I''m a student at Xi Shan High School. I met the fanatics at the Pony Beef Noodle shop behind the school. They told me that as long as I spread this barrage bot online, I could make a lot of money."


    "They didn''t promise me immortality, nor did they grant me any weird powers. They were just afraid you agents would trace it back to me.


    I was simply greedy, and I didn''t want to join any fanatic organization."


    "How do you contact them?"


    "After they gave me the barrage bot, they disappeared. I don''t know where they are."


    Ah Jian released Blondie and walked back to his car.


    "Brother Jian, where are you going?"


    "To Xi Shan High School."


    "What about this kid?"


    "Two of you, take him to the hospital. I''ll go to Xi Shan High School to investigate on my own." Ah Jian started the car, "Before I shot him, I had changed the bullets. It was just a regr bullet, not mercury-tipped. He''ll only have a minor injury."


    Ah Jian drove off with two other team members.


    The two remaining agents looked at each other, hoisted the injured Blondie, and got into the second car.


    "Why was Brother Jian so irritable today? He''s usually the most disciplined person."


    "Do you know about Xi Shan High School?"


    "Um..." the agent checked his phone, "The list of suspicious locations from the Team Leader included this school. There have been weird incidents in it rted to the weird world. It might be a real-life reflection of the current mission... but isn''t that outside our jurisdiction?"


    "Do you know where Ah Jian''s younger sister once studied?"


    "Xi Shan High School?" The agent paused, "Wait, Brother Jian had a sister?"


    "He used to."


    ...


    In the Weird World.


    Gu Yi returned to his room with a dictionary.


    Chen Zeyu was engrossed in his phone, not showing any curiosity about what Gu Yi was holding and just continued staring at the screen.


    Feeling the atmosphere a bit awkward, Gu Yi initiated a conversation, "The library will open soon, are you going?"


    "Um..." Chen Zeyu didn''t even look up, "Remember to buy some pens from the vending machine on the first floor. We have an exam tomorrow."


    "Oh, I almost forgot."


    Gu Yi nodded and took out his fountain pen.


    At this point, there was only a tiny bit of ink left in the pen.


    Instead of rushing downstairs to buy a new one, he sat on the bed and opened the dictionary he had just obtained.


    <i>"Congrattions on obtaining the special plot item [Universal Dictionary]."</i>


    <i>"Your spiritual power limit has already reached 100. After half an hour of reading, you will remember all the contents of this dictionary."</i>


    Gu Yi blinked and quickly flipped through the dictionary.


    Many books in Library''s Section C were written in unfamiliar scripts. Clearly, this Universal Dictionary was the tool to decode those books.


    Half an hourter, Gu Yi indeed grasped all the contents of the dictionary. He casually set it aside andy on his bed to rest and recover his spirits.


    In his drowsiness, Gu Yi once again heard the shouts and insults of the barrage.


    He got up from his bed and looked out the door.


    Students were gradually leaving the dormitory and heading downstairs, as the void passage to the library opened once more.


    "Hmm... I wonder how these trolls will mock me today."


    Gu Yi widened his eyes and took a closer look at the barrage in front of him.


    "Sleep, sleep,zybones. It''d be better if you just died fromziness."


    "So boring."


    "Just sleep to death."


    Scratching his head, Gu Yi noticed that today''s trolls seemed to have weakened a bit. Theirments now felt more like a girlfriend yfully teasing her boyfriend.


    However, as usual, Gu Yi used his skills to block the barrage in front of him.


    On the first floor, Gu Yi bought an almond drink, a royal ration, and a brand-new fountain pen from the vending machine.


    The royal ration was a white, jelly-like substance. It tasted pretty good, and a single bite could fill one''s stomach. However, it was quite addictive. Fortunately, Gu Yi''s strong mental power was enough to suppress the urge to overeat.


    After satisfying his hunger and thirst, Gu Yi followed the crowd to the library.


    He wanted to continue working there, but the librarian declined his request.


    "We have enough staff now; we''re not hiring."


    "But I''m afraid I won''t have enough credits. Can''t I earn them in some other way?"


    "The sports hall next door is hiring. Tomorrow afternoon, the void passage to the sports hall will open. You can ask your PE teacher."


    "Thank you."


    "Be careful," the librarian tapped the table, "Someoneined about you yesterday. They said you spoke too loudly and often mmed your pen on the table. The library is a ce for everyone to read and study in peace, not for you to y percussion."


    "Sorry."


    Gu Yi nodded, turned, and left the librarian''s office. Without any hesitation, he headed straight to the Section C of the library.

 Chapter 124: History of Despair

    <h4>Chapter 124: History of Despair</h4>


    The subject of tomorrow''s exam is "Morality."


    Judging from the despicable nature of the first day''s exam, there''s a high probability that the second day will also involve a dream test. As long as the exam score is above 12 points, he could earn the reward of dream fragments.


    Dream fragments seem to hold a unique value for the indigenous inhabitants of the dungeon, but for him, they can be used as potion ingredients.


    Moreover, he couldn''t work part-time at the library anymore, but the Librarian did provide some information. Tomorrow afternoon, the portal to the gymnasium will open. After he finishes the exam, he could explore the gymnasium.


    Gu Yi arrived at the library. Before entering section C, he applied a psychological suggestion to himself and then stepped into the section.


    He randomly picked up a book. After a quick nce, the previously iprehensible text was now easily readable to him.


    The shelves were filled with humanities and social science books, with a significant portion being history books. Some of these books weighed as much as five to six kilograms, making them slightly cumbersome to hold and read.


    Gu Yi didn''t have the time to read each book thoroughly, so he could only skim through them.


    Each history book detailed a different civilization.


    In one book, it documented a world where humans coexisted with monsters, which could be captured inside balls and carried around.


    Another book described an underwater civilization where marine creatures possessed intelligenceparable to humans. This book repeatedly mentioned a ce called "Bikini Bottom."


    Yet another book covered a civilization simr to Earth''s. The course of history wasn''t much different from that on Earth, except for a legend about a stone mask that never appeared in Earth''s history.


    "Hmm..."


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment, feeling that these history books documented the histories of various parallel universes.


    Browsing at this rate was too slow. He believed that every book in section C was worth careful study. He found a spot, sat down, and utilized his infinite deduction ability to skim through all the history books in section C.


    After a detailed reading, Gu Yi discovered that all the parallel worlds had experienced amon catastrophe.


    <i>¡ª The Weird Resurgence.</i>


    Though the time of the "Weird Resurgence" differed in each world, the disasters they once faced were identical to the catastrophe Earth was currently facing.


    They had various names for the mastermind behind the "Weird World."


    Destroyer, Evil God, Lord of Cmity...


    No matter how objective thepilers of the history books were when describing this mastermind behind the scenes, their words were always filled with fear and hatred.


    The final historical event that many civilizations encountered was the Weird Resurgence.


    The duration of each civilization''s battle against the Weird World varied; some fought for a decade, some for a century.


    As Gu Yi read through all the history books, the more he read, the deeper his despair grew.


    Because¡ª


    Not a single civilization had ever defeated the Weird World.


    Ultimately, they would fail in increasingly challenging dungeons. Almost forty percent of these civilizations met their end due to betrayal from their own kind or became a part of the Weird World after surrendering.


    Humans would eventually be consumed by an increasing number of weird creatures, turning the whole world into a wastnd.


    Just as Gu Yi was about to exhaust all his mental strength, he found the thickest history book, which documented a civilization''s battle against the Weird Worldsting for three centuries.


    In the book, the author referred to their civilization as the "Ascenders" and the mastermind behind the Weird World as the "Overseer."


    In the midst of the cmity brought by the Weirdness''s arrival, the Ascenders civilization developed and sessfully unlocked the technology for interster travel. They tried to leave their decaying home to find a new homnd and continue their civilization.


    However, just as they settled on a new, the Overseer pursued them relentlessly. Before they could firmly establish themselves, they were swallowed by a sudden surge of weird creatures.


    They were the only civilization to have direct contact with the Overseer.


    ording to their description, the Overseer is the embodiment of the universe''s will, representing the deepest dark side of all intelligent beings.


    He feeds on the fear of death and baits with the hope of survival, ying with all intelligent beings at his whim.


    He would always tell you that with just a little more effort, you could kill him.


    And then, just as you grasp thatst bit of hope, he personally extinguishes it.


    The Overseer can never be annihted; he will always reincarnate in the void.


    Beings can never oppose the Overseer; only death is the best way to face him.


    ...


    "Students, the library will be closing soon."


    The Librarian yed the closing music.


    Soft violin sounds drifted through the library.


    Gu Yi sat at the table, scribbling with a pen on paper. He wasn''t sure if people in the real world could clearly see what he wrote, but he had to convey the information he obtained today to the real world.


    Gu Yi had some doubts about the history books in Section C.


    The entire dungeon world constantly emphasizes that "suicide solves everything." Even the conditions for passing levels included "choose death." Perhaps the history books in Section C werepiled to reinforce the "belief in suicide."


    Gu Yi followed his team back to the dormitory.


    As usual, once Chen Zeyu returned to the dormitory, he turned off the main light,y on his bed, and began reading a book with his bedsidemp on.


    Gu Yi didn''t say much; he climbed into his bed and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction starts!)


    (You use psychological suggestion on Chen Zeyu.)


    (You: Chen Zeyu, where are you from?)


    (Chen Zeyu paused for a moment and put down his book.)


    (Chen Zeyu: I''m from Wapeng.)


    (You: What do you think of the Weird World?)


    (Chen Zeyu: What Weird World?)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (Normal NPCs can''t be aware of the Weird World. Chen Zeyu''s reaction was expected.)


    (You recall the content of that history book.)


    (You: Do you know about the Ascenders?)


    (Chen Zeyu: Are you talking about that novel called "The Great Overseer?")


    (You: Novel?)


    (Chen Zeyu: Yes. It''s a very popr novel. "The Great Overseer" tells the story of an interster civilization battling a catastrophe named the Overseer.)


    (You: Oh, it''s a novel? I thought it was a history book. I saw it today in the library''s Section C.)


    (Chen Zeyu: You didn''t actually believe it was real, did you? You''re killing me withughter.)


    (You: Haha, forget about it. I wanted to ask, why did youe to study at Wapeng High School?)


    (Chen Zeyu: What''s there to say? Of course, it''s because Wapeng High School is the best high school in the world. If I get high scores in the final exams, I can choose any college I want.)


    (You: What''s the outside world like?)


    (Chen Zeyu: I don''t understand what you''re talking about.)


    (You: I mean...)


    (You tried to indirectly understand the specifics of the dungeon world. However, no matter how you approached it, directly or indirectly, Chen Zeyu always looked puzzled.)


    (You realize that this is a cognitive impairment imposed by the system on the native residents. You can''t obtain more information from them.)


    (You end the deduction!)

 Chapter 125: Have You Found Peace? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 125: Have You Found Peace? (1)</h4>


    "I''m going to sleep."


    Chen Zeyu muttered to himself, turned off his bedsidemp, pulled the covers over, and went to sleep.


    Gu Yi took out the handwritten note he found in Section C.


    This note seemed to suggest that the history books documenting the extinct civilizations were the ashes of a civilization.


    <i>[If a human weighs 3.5 kilograms, how much would a civilization weigh?]</i>


    The ashes of a human weigh about 3-4 kilograms.


    The ashes of a civilization weigh approximately 4-5 kilograms.


    There were also several keywords in the books of Section B, such as "civilization" and "disperse." The clues there might be closer to the truth. If he could get in, he would surely find out more.


    "Gu Yi is zoning out again!"


    "Zoning out? Why don''t you just die?"


    "Commit suicide, be destroyed!"


    Barrage appeared in front of Gu Yi once again.


    "Boring. It''s always the same lines."


    Gu Yi shook his head, toozy to use any psychological suggestions, andid down to sleep.


    ...


    Inside the Real world.


    Late at night.


    Blondie had a bandage wrapped around his leg. He was causing a ruckus in the hospital room, iming he would sue the Strategy Group for abusive punishment.


    The delinquent''s father also rushed to the Strategy Group overnight, demandingpensation and seemingly not willing to let it go. After all, Blondie was indeed shot in the leg by Ah Jian.


    At this time, adventurers in the weird world had all drifted into sleep.


    Qu Kangping was also preparing to leave work. As he passed the reception, he heard the delinquent''s father''s shouting.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Well... a suspect''s father wants to sue us," the agent in charge of the interrogation replied. "Brother Jian lost his temper and shot the suspect in the leg without any provocation."


    "That doesn''t sound like something he would do. Where is he now?"


    "I''m not quite sure."


    "Looking at the father''s age, his child could only be in high school at most, right?"


    "Uh... Yes."


    "Who is the suspect? Which high school is he from?"


    "Well..."


    "Not willing to say? Hmph, you''re really loyal."


    Qu Kangping rolled his eyes, turned around to his office, and began flipping through some documents.


    "If I remember correctly... Indeed, it''s this name..."


    The documents recorded the high schools where weird incidents had urred, and Xi Shan High School was prominently listed. Qu Kangping muttered an expletive under his breath, a foreboding sense of unease filling him.


    "Old Zhai."


    "Here!"


    Old Zhai was about to head to his dormitory to sleep, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard Qu Kangping calling.


    "Did Ah Jian go to Xi Shan High School?"


    "Um..."


    "Don''t think that if you hide it from me, I won''t know," Qu Kangping said through gritted teeth. "Xi Shan High School is our prime suspect location. Any weird force there must be eradicated, including his sister."


    "Leader, we are still unsure if it''s because of his sister..."


    "Enough. Get the guns ready, bring extra salt canisters, and I''ll lead the team personally. You''ve grown some wings now, haven''t you? Keeping secrets from me?"


    "Team Leader, Qianqian''s condition is very stable. As long as Ah Jian soothes her, everything will be..."


    "Forget it. You, stay back. Watch Gu Yi''s dungeon clearance video a hundred times, and then you''ll understand what''s going on. You, you, and you, grab your gear ande with me immediately."


    Old Zhai pursed his lips and went to the projection room as instructed by Qu Kangping to watch Gu Yi''s dungeon clearance video.


    Upon seeing how Gu Yi reversed public opinion through a suicide act, Old Zhai instantly understood.


    Ah Jian''s sister, Zhang Qian, also died due to cyberbullying ¨C she was ndered for cheating on an exam and, in her rage, took her own life to prove her innocence.


    After Zhang Qian''s suicide, she became a bound spirit in the school under the influence of weird forces. Because Ah Jian frequently visited to console his sister, Zhang Qian never caused any idents and the situation remained stable.


    Out of consideration for Ah Jian''s feelings, the Team Leader had turned a blind eye to the matter.


    But...


    Now that this incident has urred, the Leader couldn''t turn a blind eye any longer.


    ...


    Xi Shan High School.


    Ah Jian stood alone in front of the ssroom door of Senior Year ssroom no.34.


    His hand, ced on the door handle, trembled uncontrobly.


    "Brother... Brother, have youe to see me?"


    Ah Jian turned his head, and there was his sister, Zhang Qian, standing in the school corridor. She hovered slightly above the ground, her head covered in blood, and a branch pierced her right eyeball.


    "It''s me."


    "You haven''t visited me in such a long time. I''ve been so lonely."


    "I''m sorry. I''ve had too many matters to handle recently." Ah Jian walked up to her, his hands behind his back. "Why aren''t you in the ssroom?"


    Zhang Qian took a step back, giving a bitter smile and shook her head, "Brother, what are you hiding behind your back? Is it a salt canister?"


    "It seems you''re no longer a bound spirit. ording to the rules... I must exterminate you. Rather than letting someone else interfere, it might as well be me."


    Tears welled up in Ah Jian''s eyes. He pulled out a gun from behind and aimed at Zhang Qian, pulling the trigger.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The mercury bullet prated Zhang Qian''s chest.


    She wailed, her form flickering like a candle in the wind.


    Ah Jian, tears streaming down his face, took out the salt canister, bit off its lid, and approached Zhang Qian.


    Raising her head, she gave a sinisterugh and fled through the wall.


    "Qianqian!"


    Ah Jian yelled and dashed after her.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    He burst through the emergency exit.


    Zhang Qian scampered down the stairwell.


    Ah Jian threw the salt canister at her.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A brilliant silver-white me shot up, illuminating the entire hallway.


    "Ah¡ªhow could you? Are you even my brother?"


    Zhang Qian screamed shrilly.


    Suddenly, Ah Jian''s legs gave way, and he knelt, clutching his ears in pain.


    The memory of his sister''s tragic death shed repeatedly before his eyes, making it impossible for him to focus. Shaking, he took out a bottle of spiritual energy drink from his pocket and gulped it down.


    "Ugh¡ª"


    The drink was extremely bitter, and Ah Jian almost spat it out as soon as it touched his tongue.


    Covering his mouth and summoning all his willpower, he forced the drink down. The hallucinations finally ceased. He looked out the window and saw his sister running towards the school''s back door on the yground.


    "Don''t run!"


    Ah Jian shouted and hastened his pursuit.


    Zhang Qian was only a step away from the school''s main gate when Ah Jian raised his gun and fired multiple shots.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Zhang Qian fell to the ground, her form flickering.


    Ah Jian approached Zhang Qian and took out thest canister of salt from his pocket.


    "Qianqian, I''m sorry, but this is... the rule."


    Ah Jian opened the salt canister.


    Suddenly, Ah Jian felt a chill on his back. Instinctively, he performed a side roll, taking cover behind a trash bin, as a flurry of gunshots echoed around him.


    Turning his head, Ah Jian saw two fanatics walking towards him with guns drawn. They wore masks, and the forehead of each mask bore the logo of the "Weird World" channel.


    "Kill him and take the evil spirit. If we wait for the agents to arrive, it''ll be toote."


    "Alright."


    Not daring to engage in a gunfight with Ah Jian, the fanatics pulled out hand grenades from their pockets. After pulling the pins, they hurled them towards where Ah Jian was hiding.

 Chapter 126: Have You Found Peace? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 126: Have You Found Peace? (2)</h4>


    <i>Roll¡ª</i>


    A grenade fell in front of Ah Jian.


    "Damn, what the hell?"


    Ah Jian immediately ran as fast as he could, rolling on the ground and covering his head.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The grenade exploded.


    Even though Ah Jian had promptly thrown himself to the ground, he was still injured. He had at least ten shrapnel scratches on his body, and his ears had temporarily lost their hearing.


    From a distance in the streets, a fierce gunfight could be heard, intermingled with blood-curdling screams.


    "The reinforcement from the strategy group is here."


    "Weird creatures are already descending from above. This should hold them off for a while."


    "Let''s get that little evil spirit out of here."


    Two fanatics put on ck gloves, which allowed them to touch intangible evil spirits.


    They carried the unconscious Zhang Qian and ran out of the school''s back door.


    A van was parked at the back entrance. They got on, and the van immediately left the school.


    The driver nced at Zhang Qian, whose face was intermittently flickering, and said with a frown, "What''s wrong with this child? Is she still in the state of an earthbound spirit?"


    "Probably not."


    "She just got sprinkled with salt by the agents that''s why she is like this," said one of the fanatics. "Don''t worry. Today marks the fourth year since her death. The resentment she''s umted is enough for her to be an evil spirit. She''ll recover soon."


    "I hope so."


    The driver pulled up the handbrake and stepped on the elerator.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    The roof of the van suddenly sank, and everyone immediately looked up.


    "There''s something on the roof."


    "Shit, look ahead!"


    The driver turned and saw Ah Jian, his face covered in blood, ring menacingly through the window.


    "You bastard!"


    The driver cursed, stepping on the elerator and then swiftly turning the steering wheel. Caught off-guard, Ah Jian''s grip loosened, and inertia threw him off.


    The van continued to drive forward.


    As it was about to cross an intersection, the phosphorous bomb Ah Jian had installed on the roof exploded. The entire car was instantly engulfed in mes.


    Phosphorous bombs, banned worldwide decades ago, had made aeback. After the weird resurgence, these bombs became the secret weapon of agents around the world in their fight against these weird creatures.


    The mainponent in phosphorous bombs is white phosphorus, capable of generating temperatures of up to 1000¡ãC. Once white phosphorus touches the skin, it''s incredibly hard to remove. The intense heat can burn a person down to their bones in seconds.


    The fanatics in the car managed to jump out but didn''t get far before copsing and turning into charred corpses. Even after their death, their bodies continued to burn.


    Ah Jian leaned against a corner of a wall, squinting towards the mes.


    Zhang Qian''s ghostly figure slowly dissipated in the fire, and Ah Jian once again saw the sweet smile she used to wear when she was alive.


    <i>Have you¡ª finally found peace?</i>


    ¡­


    "Ah Jian, you damn fool, using a phosphorous bomb in the city? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    Qu Kangping hurried to Ah Jian''s side and berated him, looking at Ah Jian''s bloody face.


    Ah Jian pointed to his ears and grinned, "Captain, I think I''ve gone deaf?"


    "You damn idiot!"


    "You seem to be scolding me¡­"


    "First, let''s get this idiot to the hospital. If those fanatics got away, so be it. Saving him is the priority now!"


    Qu Kangping lifted the injured Ah Jian into a car.


    At the hospital, doctors urgently operated on Ah Jian.


    Unable to curb his nicotine cravings, Qu Kangping stood in the hospital''s front za, smoking.


    Ah Jian''s impulsiveness this time wasn¡¯t entirely detrimental.


    A month ago, the fanatics had set their sights on the earthbound spirit, Zhang Qian. They performed a transformation ritual on her, gradually turning her into an evil spirit.


    Leveraging Zhang Qian''s weird powers, they created "Barrage bots" operable in the weird world.


    Today was meant to be the final day of Zhang Qian''s transformation. By dawn, the fanatics had nned to take her away.


    Ah Jian used his exceptional stealth skills to bypass the fanatics'' surveince and sessfully found Zhang Qian.


    The strategy team never expected Ah Jian to single-handedly infiltrate the school to eliminate the evil spirit, and the fanatics were equally taken aback that Ah Jian would venture into the lion''s den alone.


    Ah Jian inadvertently exposed the fanatics who had been in hiding for years.


    <i>Beep, beep, beep¡ª</i>


    Qu Kangping''s phone rang.


    "What is it?"


    "Captain, Ah Jian has been moved out of the operating room."


    "How is he?"


    "The doctor said he''s out of immediate danger for now, but he still needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days."


    "You''ve had a long night. Stay with Ah Jian for the evening, and take a day off tomorrow."


    "Yes, Captain."


    Qu Kangping took ast drag from his cigarette, tossed the butt into the trash bin, and left.


    ...


    The Weird World.


    The next day, Gu Yi was awakened by his roommate''s nudging.


    For some reason, when Gu Yi woke up that morning, he no longer saw those bulletments attacking people. He spected that the strategy team must have found and apprehended all the keyboard warriors in the real world.


    Prepared, Gu Yi joined the group of students and went down to the first floor.


    The dormitory''s supervisor stood at the entrance, as she had for the past few days, beckoning everyone over, "Today is the second exam, and you still need to give up one item."


    Gu Yi nodded, choosing to part with his beloved sneakers.


    The students lined up, heading to the exam hall. Gu Yi paused beside the supervisor, tentatively asking, "Will it be the same tomorrow?"


    "We''ll talk about tomorrow when ites."


    She replied, unwilling to reveal more.


    Not daring to probe further, Gu Yi moved ahead.


    By now, all essential items had been relinquished. If anything else was required, he''d have no choice but to sacrifice a person.


    Given the current scenario, there was no chance for him toplete the dungeon exploration in three days. Only by acing the exam and scoring high could he obtain the rare "Dream Fragments" ¡ª the most vital consumable in the entire dungeon.


    Gu Yi could only hope that the Dragon Country''s strategy team waspetent enough to help protect his family.


    Having experienced an exam before, Gu Yi confidently took his seat, awaiting the question paper.


    The nk sheet was ced before him, and the exam bell rang on time.


    Everything went ck before Gu Yi''s eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself sitting in a bedroom. The voice of the invigtor echoed in his ear, repeating the exam instructions.


    Most of the content was simr to thest time, except for the following instructions.


    <i>"3. This exam adopts a dream simtion format. The test duration is three days and the flow of time is not synchronized with reality. Please allocate your time wisely. Whatever happens in the dream will not affect reality."</i>


    <i>"4. Examinees must uphold morality during the exam."</i>


    Gu Yi didn''t rush to start. He looked down at his body and realized he was in the form of a child, probably no older than five.


    The room''s decoration was quite rudimentary, resembling an old house from the 70s or 80s.


    "Begin the exam."


    As soon as the voice ended, Gu Yi''s body automatically jumped off the bed. He still couldn''t move freely.


    It seemed the system wanted him to experience the storyline firsthand.


    He walked out of the bedroom.


    In the yard, a woman was being beaten by two men. Even though she looked unfamiliar, the system informed him that this woman was his mother.


    Gu Yi hid behind the door, watching in horror as his mother was beaten to death.


    His stepfather stood aside, indifferent, even handing a club to the assants. It wasn''t until noon that the vige head and police arrived in the yard.


    However, by that time, the stepfather had already destroyed all evidence.


    The sole eyewitness, Gu Yi, had been sent to his grandmother''s house even before the police arrived.


    The police investigated for a long time but couldn''t pinpoint the real culprit.


    The other two men involved in the beating were the stepfather''s brothers. They had colluded in their testimony, deceiving both the police and the vige chief during the investigation.


    In the end, the stepfather shifted the me for the murder onto his two brothers. They were sentenced to twenty years in prison, while the real instigator, the stepfather, remained free.

 Chapter 127: Path of Revenge (1)

    <h4>Chapter 127: Path of Revenge (1)</h4>


    After the death of his mother, Gu Yi spent his childhood at his grandparents'' house. His stepfather never once visited him.


    Time fast-forwarded by twenty years.


    Three options appeared before Gu Yi.


    <i>"You can choose one profession to continue the exam, and once chosen, you cannot change your decision."</i>


    <i>"1. Assassin."</i>


    <i>"2. Police officer."</i>


    <i>"3. Soldier."</i>


    At this moment, Gu Yi still couldn''t use his talents.


    Clearly, the aim of this test was to challenge his understanding of morality and the legal system, and there was bound to be bloodshed in this examination.


    Being an assassin was the first option Gu Yi discarded. Such a profession couldn''t possibly be associated with morality.


    Choosing between a police officer and a soldier seemed more rational.


    As a police officer, evidence is paramount. Finding evidence for a case that happened twenty years ago in just three days would be extremely challenging.


    As a soldier, one could easily ess weapons, and their physical fitness andbat skills would be on par with an assassin. However, the discipline of the military might restrain him.


    After much thought, Gu Yi made his decision.


    "I choose the third option, a soldier."


    Gu Yi finally regained his freedom to move. He found himself in a military camp, wearing a training uniform, standing in front of a full-length mirror.


    "Begin deduction."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You leave the military camp after obtaining leave from your superiors.)


    (It takes you half a day to return to your hometown.)


    (You prepare to take your revenge, but you find that your stepfather has be a prominent businessman in the vige. The other two assants have been released from prison and are now working in hispany.)


    (You buy knives from the market and borrow a shotgun from a hunter.)


    (As you''re preparing for the assassination, your girlfriend confronts you.)


    (When she sees your preparations, she immediately tries to dissuade you.)


    (Girlfriend: Why are you doing this? He''s your father.)


    (You: No, he led others to kill my mother years ago. A mother''s death is an unforgivable crime.)


    (Girlfriend: If you kill him, you''ll be sentenced too. Have you thought about us? We''re getting married next month.)


    (You: I''m sorry, but there are some things I must do.)


    (Girlfriend: Please calm down. Your father is not an ordinary person. He''s wealthy and has bodyguards with him.)


    (You: Don''t try to change my mind.)


    (You forcefully push your girlfriend away, locking her in your house to prevent her from interfering.)


    (The following night, you arrive at your stepfather''s residence.)


    (You douse the house''s exterior with gasoline.)


    (Before you can ignite it, the bodyguards rush out.)


    (With outstanding skills, you defeat the bodyguards without a scratch.)


    (At this moment, alerted by themotion, your stepfather arrives, pointing a gun at your girlfriend.)


    (Stepfather: Ah, my dear son, I should have never shown mercy back then.)


    (You: Let go of my girlfriend, you scum.)


    (Stepfather: Sorry, I can''t do that.)


    (Using your girlfriend as a human shield, your stepfather aims his gun at you.)


    (You get shot thrice, bleeding profusely.)


    (The bodyguards swarm in, including the thug who killed your mother years ago.)


    (You are stuffed into a sack and thrown into the river.)


    (You drown.)


    (The voice of the invigtor resonates in your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Bold but reckless, Emotionality: 5 points, Rationality: 1 point.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, analyzing the strength and situation of his enemies.


    1. The stepfather must have a robust intelligencework. The moment Gu Yi returned home, his stepfather immediately set up defenses, cing numerous bodyguards around his vi.


    2. The stepfather has firearms at home, making a blind assassination attempt is likely to fail.


    3. The girlfriend is a ticking time bomb. She could be used as a bargaining chip by his stepfather. It''s essential to resolve the issue with the girlfriend first.


    "Let''s try again."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take leave from your superiors and call your girlfriend, inviting her out.)


    (You''ve paid a woman to apany you to meet your girlfriend.)


    (You tell your girlfriend you''ve found someone new.)


    (Your girlfriend is somewhat incredulous. Even when you try to use psychological suggestion on her, she remains skeptical.)


    (You kiss the woman right in front of your girlfriend.)


    (Your girlfriend finally gets angry, breaks up with you on the spot, and throws your engagement ring into a roadside drain.)


    (You secretly followed your girlfriend until you were sure she boarded the train back to her hometown, then you left with relief.)


    (You went to a notary to draft a will, leaving all your assets to your grandparents.)


    (Back home, you knocked out four of your teeth with a stone, making your face appear more gaunt.)


    (You dyed your hair, changed your hairstyle, and disguised your appearance.)


    (Looking in the mirror, you felt that even if your girlfriend saw you now, she might not recognize you.)


    (Instead of sourcing weapons from the vige, you used the firearms knowledge you gained in the military to craft a crude homemade gun. After testing it, you found that its effective range was only 3 meters, and it had to be used at close range to be lethal.)


    (End of Day 1.)


    (You arrived in your hometown, and the entire vige was grateful to your stepfather. The vige roads were all built with his donations.)


    (You observed your stepfather''s vi for two days, noting down his patterns of movement.)


    (You discovered that every day at 7 a.m., your stepfather would leave his vi to jog around the nearbyke. At this time, he only had two bodyguards with him. With your skills, you believed you could handle them.)


    (The stepfather''s two brothers also lived in the vi. They werezy and typically woke up around noon. You nned to assassinate them after dealing with the stepfather.)


    (End of Day 3.)


    (The voice of the invigtor echoed in your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Nothing achieved. Rationality: 4 points, Emotionality: 1 point.)


    (You ended the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, recalling every detail of his previous experiences. He used thest two days to memorize his stepfather''s patterns, aiming for a single lethal blow.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again, deducing the assassination twice. He had now built muscle memory. He was now confident that he could kill his stepfather even with his eyes shut.


    "Alright, let''s officially begin."


    ...


    Inside the real world.


    With the joint efforts of the strategy team and the police, all suspects responsible for spreading the spam bots online were apprehended.


    Regrettably, the fanatics who developed the spam bots managed to escape, leaving the strategy team with only a few peripheral members without any significant influence.


    Qu Kangping left the interrogation to his subordinates and sat alone in his office, watching the weird live broadcast.


    At the moment, Gu Yi was standing in front of a full-length mirror, deep in thought.


    Thement section became heated again.


    "Coming here again to spout nonsense, so boring."


    "If you don''t want to watch, just leave. Stop pretending here."


    "Aren''t you going to Lighthouse Country to find your daddy Chris? Hurry up, I''ve already booked your ne ticket to Gotham City."


    "Why can''t it be a quick kill? What''s he pondering so much for?"


    "People like you with no brains shouldn''t watch the live broadcast. Go home and y with your fingers holding your pig-like head."


    Qu Kangping looked at the barrage ofments before him, cheerfully whistling, "Ah... this kind ofment environment is truly entertaining!"

 Chapter 128: Path of Revenge (2)

    <h4>Chapter 128: Path of Revenge (2)</h4>


    Hospital.


    In the Intensive Care Unit.


    "Nurse... Nurse... Can you give me my phone?"


    "Hey, you can''t move your neck. Stay still."


    "I really want to watch Gu Yi''s clearance process..."


    Ah Jianid on the hospital bed, pleading with the nurse. However, the nurse didn''t pay him any heed and turned to leave.


    After a short while, Old Zhai entered the ward, pulling out a phone stand and attaching it to Ah Jian''s bed.


    "Ah Jian, you really got me in trouble this time," Old Zhai, pointing to his dark circles, said, "The team leader punished me by making me watch Gu Yi''s clearance video a hundred times. I fell asleep after the third watch. So he assigned me to take care of you."


    "Thanks for that."


    Ah Jian stared at the phone screen.


    Gu Yi remained motionless in front of the mirror. Based on his habits, he wouldn''t move for at least twenty minutes. Ah Jian motioned to Old Zhai and said, "Let me watch someone else first."


    "Who do you want to see?"


    "Chris."


    "That scumbag... does he also have morals?"


    Old Zhai shook his head, helping Ah Jian switch the live broadcast.


    ...


    Inside the Weird World.


    Just like Gu Yi, Chris had chosen to be a soldier.


    At the moment, he was still in the military camp.


    Whileughing and chatting, he secretly unleashed a malevolent spirit, causing various weird incidents within the camp.


    Everyone in the camp rushed to address the situations, and he sneaked into the arsenal, stealing a handgun and two grenades.


    Chris quickly left the military camp and returned to his hometown.


    As soon as he arrived at the doorstep, his girlfriend ran out.


    "Honey, why did youe back early without notifying me?"


    "Isn''t it because I missed you?"


    After some sweet words, just when things were getting intimate, his girlfriend immediately pushed him away, "Honey, I know it''s hard for you. But we agreed, we''ll wait till after the wedding... Is that okay?"


    "Alright, I respect your wishes."


    Chris shed a handsome smile.


    His girlfriend consoled Chris for a few moments before turning back to the kitchen to prepare dinner.


    Chris turned and left the house. As he exited, he couldn''t resist muttering, "What a pretentious bitch, who knows what she''s up to behind my back."


    As night fell, Chris swaggered to his stepfather''s residence.


    The mansion''s gate was wide open, and several bodyguards stood on either side, eyeing Chris suspiciously.


    "My dear son, you''ve finally returned?"


    His stepfather, with his hands behind his back, approached the entrance.


    Without uttering a word, Chris sneered and drew the pistol from his waist, firing immediately.


    Caught off guard, the first bullet hit the stepfather in the chest, making him scream as he was blown backward.


    Only then did the bodyguards react, rushing towards Chris in a frenzy.


    Chris demonstrated his militarybat skills, quickly emptying his magazine and reloading at lightning speed. In no time, he had neutralized the guards at the entrance.


    The stepfather''s brother emerged from the mansion, dragging the injured man inside.


    More and more armed guards appeared, firing their guns in unison.


    Chris whistled and took cover quickly. He snapped his fingers, unleashing all twenty malevolent spirits he had at his disposal. The spirits wreaked havoc among the crowd, sending chills down their spines and making them unconsciously drop their weapons.


    Chris then pulled out a grenade and threw it, killing countless guards.


    Seeing that most of the enemies had been dealt with, Chris approached the mansion''s entrance, pouring gasoline he had prepared earlier around the vi.


    "Bastard, look who this is!"


    Clutching his wounded chest, the stepfather held Chris''s girlfriend as a shield in front of him.


    With tear-streaked face, she sobbed, pleading for her life.


    Chris clicked his tongue in surprise and, without hesitation, shot her in the head.


    Blood and brain matter sttered all over the stepfather''s face. He stared in disbelief at the young woman''s lifeless body, shaking his head, "You monster... You killed your own fiancee?"


    "This damned woman wouldn''t even sleep with me, why keep her around?"


    Chris walked up to his stepfather, continuously pulling the trigger until his stepfather drew hisst breath.


    "You remind me of my stepfather. My mother was killed by him when he was drunk. And guess what? That scumbag was only sentenced to ten years... Just ten years? Can you believe it? Hahaha..."


    <i>Vroom, vroom, vroom ...</i>


    Chris''s ears twitched as he heard the sound of an engine from behind. He rushed out the door.


    It turned out that his stepfather''s two brothers had no sense of loyalty. After seeing their brother injured, they immediately ran into the warehouse to escape on motorcycles. Chris quickly grabbed a pistol and with two precise shots, took them both down.


    He dragged the two severely wounded men into the vi. Throwing a matchstick, he set the entire mansion aze.


    Soon, a voice echoed in Chris''s ears.


    <i>"Cutting the grass and uprooting the weed. Ruthless in your every action... Emotionality: 3 points, Rationality: 9 points."</i>


    "Damn it, I finally passed."


    Chrisughed heartily.


    ...


    "He really can do something like this, huh? Killing even his own girlfriend?"


    "His only goal is to clear the level. He doesn''t consider morality at all. As long as he can perfectly kill the enemy and protect himself, he''ll score high on rationality."


    "That''s so cool!"


    "Sympathizing with a murderer, you guys are something."


    "White knights, get out of the chatroom!"


    "If you''re not ruthless, you can''t stand your ground."


    "Only a ruthless person like Chris is the savior who can lead us out of this weird world!"


    Ah Jian, with wide eyes, watched Chris''s clearance progress and sighed, "Sigh... The chat environment in Lighthouse Country is terrible. Why do they worship a psychopathic killer so much? Doesn''t their strategy team think about arresting those who send barrage messages?"


    "Hey, you know nothing. Lighthouse Country is and of freedom. Naturally, freedom of speech is also respected."


    "Forget it, I''m done with Chris." Ah Jian looked at Old Zhai, "Is Gu Yi done yet? Hurry up and switch it for me."


    "Here it is."


    ...


    On screen:


    Gu Yi was sitting in a caf¨¦ with a weary-looking woman by his side and his girlfriend opposite him.


    "A love triangle?"


    "Damn, what''s Gu Yi up to?"


    "What''s he trying to do?"


    Question marks filled the barrage.


    His girlfriend looked just as confused, "Gu Yi, what''s going on?"


    "I''m being honest with you," Gu Yi said, "You refuse to sleep with me; you clearly don''t love me."


    "So..."


    "I''ve found someone new. Let''s break up."


    "I know you''re not that kind of person. Are you hiding something from me? Did something happen at home? Or... do you have a terminal illness?"


    Gu Yi sighed, using a psychological suggestion on his girlfriend. He kissed the woman beside him and took off his engagement ring, cing it on the table.


    "My dear, go back to your hometown. I told you, we''re done."


    "You..."


    "Go, now!"


    Gu Yi mmed the table.


    With a bitter smile, the girlfriend left the cafe, throwing the ring into a roadside drain.

 Chapter 129: Path of Revenge (2)

    <h4>Chapter 129: Path of Revenge (2)</h4>


    "How heartless!"


    "Why is he so skilled at this?"


    "Wouldn''t this cause the morality to decrease even more?"


    Some strangements floated across the screen.


    After his girlfriend left angrily, Gu Yi himself didn''t immediately leave. Instead, he secretly followed her until she boarded the train home, only then did he depart.


    After that, he immediately went to the will repository to set up his will, stating that he would leave all his assets to his grandparents after his death.


    "Why is he doing this?"


    "I think it''s because Gu Yi had the intention of dying when he decided to assassinate his stepfather, so he made arrangements for his will in advance."


    "Why didn''t he leave half of his assets to his girlfriend?"


    While watching the fierce discussion in thements, Ah Jian couldn''t help but nudge Old Zhai, "Bro, send ament for me."


    "Your hand isn''t broken. Why do you need me to send ament for you?"


    "Hey, the doctor told me not to move around..." Ah Jian said with a smile, "Just say, Gu Yi didn''t want his girlfriend to find out about his death or his illegal actions, so he didn''t leave any inheritance for her. He hopes that after she goes back to her hometown, she can find a good man and get married."


    "I think your naive mind isn''t very helpful..."


    Old Zhai muttered the sarcastic remark but still helped Ah Jian send thement.


    The scene in the broadcast shifted to the front of the stepfather''s vi.


    The stepfather, apanied by two bodyguards, was jogging around ake.


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and the stepfather''s head exploded like a firework. The two bodyguards were knocked out by Gu Yi before they could even react, and they were left on the side of the road.


    Old Zhai and Ah Jian stared at the screen, too shocked to breathe.


    "When... did this kid be so skilled? Even if he has some benefits given by dungeon, he shouldn''t be this proficient."


    "Such a clean and efficient method, even Chris is not his match." Ah Jian eximed, "His talent is to deduce the future, practicing scenarios over and over in his mind."


    "So that''s it."


    Gu Yi neatly handled the stepfather''s body, then sneaked into the vi and used a dagger to slit the throats of the other two aplices of his father.


    By now, Gu Yi had killed all his enemies without harming any innocent bodyguards.


    After taking his revenge, Gu Yi didn''t stop. Instead, he ran straight to the police station and turned himself in.


    "Why did he turn himself in?"


    "Because of morality - after all, killing is illegal.


    To serve the country as a soldier is loyalty.


    Breaking up with his girlfriend so as not to involve others is righteousness.


    Enduring years for the sake of avenging his mother and leaving his inheritance to his grandparents after his death is filial piety.


    While taking revenge, he acted swiftly, without torturing his enemies or harming any innocents, always showing utmost restraint, which is benevolence.


    Turning himself in aftermitting the crime is a sign of respect for thew, he showed integrity.


    Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and integrity, Gu Yi definitely would score the highest this time."


    As Ah Jian finished speaking, the invigtor announced the scores.


    <i>"A righteous person, achieving both loyalty and filial piety. Emotionality: 9 points, Rationality: 9 points."</i>


    The two progress bars above Gu Yi''s head grew simultaneously. Now, his scores for emotionality and rationality were both 23, the highest among all adventurers!


    <i>Whew¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, his consciousness returning to the examination room.


    <i>"Congrattions on passing the second exam."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate has been increased."</i>


    <i>"Current plot exploration rate is 34%."</i>


    Leaving the examination room, Gu Yi was quickly called away by the invigtor. The teacher gave him a fresh dream fragment. Gu Yi carefully concealed it and exited the office.


    Outside the office door, Gu Yi saw his roommate, who also received a dream fragment.


    "How many points did you get?"


    "I got 18."


    "18?" Chen Zeyu looked surprised, "How did you manage that? Did you score 9 in both emotionality and rationality?"


    "Yes."


    Holding his own dream fragment, Chen Zeyu suddenly felt less triumphant, "I only got 13 points. How did you do it?"


    "I don''t know, I just got lucky."


    Gu Yi shrugged and left the academic building.


    Chen Zeyu snorted disdainfully, "Damn it, why don''t I have such luck to get such a high score?"


    Back in the dormitory, Gu Yi kept waiting by the window for the passage to the gymnasium to open.


    For once, Chen Zeyu took the initiative to speak, "Dude, how did you manage it?"


    "What are you referring to?"


    "I mean, how did you score so high?"


    Gu Yi turned his head, "Is my score really that exceptional?"


    "It is! Only 30% of students can get 10 points. Scoring 12 already indicates talent."


    "Is that so..."


    "How did you do it?" Chen Zeyu continued, "The education I received since childhood is that you can''t keep a cake and eat it at the same time.[1] One always has to give up something to gain something. One must lose in order to gain."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi fell deep into thought.


    Every dungeon seemed to constantly emphasize the question of "cost." This time, the dungeon used Chen Zeyu''s to express the theme of "give and take".


    In Chen Zeyu''s worldview, no one can have it all. One always needs to give up something to achieve a goal.


    "You''re right," Gu Yi said, "Indeed, some things need to be sacrificed, so... I chose to give up my life and freedom."


    "Life? Freedom?" Chen Zeyu pondered, "You turned yourself in after taking revenge, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Isn''t it meaningless? You could have created a perfect crime scene and cleared yourself of any suspicion. Why surrender and waste your life?"


    "Why is it meaningless?"


    "Life only has meaning if it exists. Dead people hold no value."


    "It''s precisely because there''s death in the world that life has meaning."


    Chen Zeyu frowned, "You speak like a philosopher writing prose."


    "It''s a goodparison. It gives me a feeling of home."


    "Huh?"


    Chen Zeyu looked confused. Gu Yi looked towards the direction of the gymnasium, a void passage was gradually forming, "I''m nning to go to the gymnasium to earn some credits. Do you want toe with me?"


    "No thanks, I don''t want to sweat."


    Gu Yi headed to the gymnasium alone.


    The air conditioning here had just been turned on and the temperature hadn''t cooled down yet. Several students were already ying on the basketball court. From afar, Gu Yi could feel the heat. He looked around and spotted a person wearing a baseball cap, with a whistle around his neck, looking like a coach.


    "Hello," Gu Yi approached, "I''m here to earn credits."


    "Oh?" The coach nced at Gu Yi, "I know you, you''re the student who got the highest score in the second exam, right?"


    "Yes."


    "I didn''t expect someone with such high scores to still work part-time. But no worries, there''s still plenty of work to do in the gymnasium."


    The coach spoke as he fetched a pile of cleaning tools from the storage room. Tossing them in front of Gu Yi, he pointed at the ss windows above and said, "Your task today is to clean all these windows within 2 hours. If you exceed the time, I won''t give you any rewards."


    Gu Yi looked up, surveying the expanse of windows above him.


    The workload was substantial, but even if he cked off, an hour would be more than enough for him to clean everything.


    "Understood."


    Gu Yi grabbed the cleaning tools and ran up the steps. It was only then that he realized the trap the coach had set for him.


    <i>¡ª The auditorium above the gymnasium was just like section B of the library, another area of spatial chaos!</i>

 Chapter 130: Window Cleaning

    <h4>Chapter 130: Window Cleaning</h4>


    Inside the real world.


    "How boring, Gu Yi is daydreaming again."


    "It''s just window cleaning, what''s there to see?"


    "Let''s go and see what Chris is up to."


    On the Dragon Country''sment screen, negativements were once again on the rise. Without Ah Jian leading the team, it seemed the task of capturing online trolls had be somewhatx.


    "Leader, someone has uploaded barrage bots online again."


    "Ugh... It''s so annoying."


    Qu Kangping was frustrated to the credit of pulling out strands of his hair. He couldn''t figure out how to deal with the matter of the trolls. Just yesterday, in a desperate attempt to save Ah Jian, they had to give up the pursuit of fanatics.


    It turns out that Zhang Qian was just one of the sources of power for the "barrage bots". As long as there are souls who died from online bullying, they can be used as energy sources to produce barrage bots.


    Having resolved the issue with one Zhang Qian, there were still countless souls who died from online violence.


    If the fanatics can develop barrage bot version 1.0, they can surely develop version 2.0.


    "What did the cyber police say?"


    "The IPs releasing the barrage bots are all foreign, with Lighthouse Country ounting for thirty percent. We are currently in negotiations with foreign authorities."


    "Don''t worry. Tomorrow we will have a strategy meeting with teams from other countries. I will raise this issue at the meeting. There are too many unsolved mysteries in this dungeon; perhaps consulting with team leaders from other countries might provide new insights."


    "Yes, leader."


    Qu Kangping nodded and started to switch broadcast channels to watch the adventurers from other countries.


    Two more adventurers from different countries, unable to bear the pressure, chose to end their challenge by taking their own lives. While many adventurers were utterly confused, having already undergone two tests, yet umting only less than 20 credits.


    So far, the dungeon did not demand a certain amount of credits, but a low score always made one uneasy.


    Finally, the channel switched to Lighthouse Country.


    At this moment, Chris was sitting alone in his seat. Unlike Gu Yi, who worked at the library to earn credits, Chris was leaning over his desk, sketching.


    "Has Chris been influenced by Gu Yi?"


    "What is he drawing?"


    "Can someone from the strategy team analyze it quickly? It''s so suspenseful!"


    Qu Kangping was about to call the technicians when, unexpectedly, they ced a report directly on his desk.


    "You guys are really quick..."


    "Leader, it''s not that we''re quick," the technician replied. "Chris sat and drew all night, and only today did we determine what he was illustrating."


    "He was drawing all night?"


    "Yes, he was sketching the spatial structure of Section B."


    "What?"


    Upon hearing this, Qu Kangping immediately picked up the report.


    It was filled with topological symbols and diagrams, so intricate that even professional mathematicians would praise Chris''s drawing techniques.


    The adventurers from Sakura Country had, with their lives, alerted everyone that Section B was a spatially chaotic area. Relying solely on human spatial perception, it was impossible to find one''s way there.


    "I see..."


    After pondering for a moment, Qu Kangping quickly deciphered Chris''s method.


    "Chris has 20 vengeful spirit servants. He must have sent these 20 spirits into Section B, using them to explore its spatial structure. He then consolidated all the information in his mind and used his extraordinary spatial imagination to depict the spatial diagram."


    The technician looked shocked, his mouth agape. He nced at the drawing on the table, then back at Chris, and asked incredulously, "Leader, is this amount of calction really achievable by a human?"


    "Remember, both Chris and Gu Yi have awakened SSS-level talents. You can''t understand them with ordinary logic."


    "My goodness... He truly is a genius."


    "But he''s a dangerous genius," Qu Kangping remarked while puffing on a cigarette. "This kid has no sense of morality. I shudder to think what he might do once he gains immense power."


    In the weird world.


    Inside the gymnasium.


    Gu Yi stood in front of a window pane, motionless for a long time.


    He then just surprisinglyy on the ground and slept for half an hour. Then, he sat on the ground with his eyes closed as if lost in thought.


    The coach shook his head, quickly approached Gu Yi, and said, "Young man, if you can''t handle this job, I''ll have someone else do it."


    "No, I''ve almost got it."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, revealing a confident smile. He picked up the bucket and cloth and shuttled effortlessly in the distorted space without any obstruction.


    The coach rubbed his eyes, seeing three illusory figures of Gu Yi before him.


    "Huh? How did this kid figure out the solution to the chaotic space so quickly?"


    With the help of Infinite deductions, Gu Yi used a trial-and-error method to determine the way through the chaotic space. In reality, this ce was just aplex maze. Given enough time, anyone could navigate through it.


    Exhausting all his mental energy, Gu Yi even had to sleep for a while to restore his mental strength before continuing his exploration.


    With persistent effort, he finally understood the entire spatial structure of this chaotic space.


    "Done."


    Gu Yi appeared behind the coach and threw the cleaning tools beside him.


    The coach checked his watch.


    Even though Gu Yi had slept on the ground for half an hour, he only took forty minutes toplete the task. This efficiency was incredibly impressive.


    "You truly are worthy of being the top student in the history of Wapeng High School."


    "I''m ttered."


    "I have two rewards for you now. Which one would you like?"


    "Which two rewards?"


    "The first reward is, of course, a credit reward. As for the second reward, I think you might not need it. It''s something that can help you maintain a sense of direction when you''re in a chaotic space."


    Gu Yi didn''t rush to choose.


    The coach seemed amiable and approachable, far more pleasant than the dormitory supervisor.


    "Sir, I''d like to ask... what''s the risk if our scores are too low?"


    "Risk? Do you think our school is a battlefield? What kind of danger could there be?" The coachughed heartily. "If you don''t have enough credits, you''ll simply be expelled. That''s all there is to it."


    As Gu Yi suspected.


    He nodded and continued, "So, what exactly is this second reward?"


    "Human perception is too weak, which is why you can''t find a sense of direction in chaotic spaces.


    The chaotic space in this gymnasium is rtively small. But the chaotic space in Library''s Section B is an entirely different matter. If you were to unravel the entire space of Section B, it''s many times the size of our school.


    So, to navigate through chaotic spaces, you need a unique device. We, the Traveller Star people, call it the ''Compass.''


    I initially thought you already had a Compass, so I didn''t n to offer it..."


    "No, I want that Compass, tell me is there anything else I need to do for it?"

 Chapter 131: Compass

    <h4>Chapter 131: Compass</h4>


    "Hmm... You''re a human, so you can''t possibly take out apass from your head like us Traveller Star people."


    Saying this, the coach lifted open his own skull.


    Inside his head was empty, nothing at all, yet he managed to pull out something resembling apass.


    Gu Yi made a face and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, coach, there''s no need to show off."


    "Hmm... Be patient. Tell me, what do you like?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You''ll see. First, choose one thing you like the most."


    The coach pulled out three items from his pocket: a lighter, a sk, and a curling iron.


    "Coach, were you a rebellious student?"


    "Huh? What?"


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Gu Yi''s mouth. His mental energy hadn''t fully recovered yet, and he had no idea what the coach was trying to do.


    The curling iron was the first thing he excluded. Considering convenience, it seemed the lighter might be a better choice than the sk.


    "I choose the lighter."


    "Good choice."


    The coach put away the other two items, holding the lighter in one hand and thepass in the other.


    A sh of white light appeared, then the lighter andpass merged together.


    The once cheap stic lighter turned into an expensive Zippo lighter. It looked incredibly cool, and even if Gu Yi didn''t smoke, he would want one of these for his collection.


    "It looks cool."


    "Take it. It''s your reward."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi picked up the lighter, and a system prompt sounded in his ear.


    <i>"Congrattions on obtaining the special plot item [Compass]!"</i>


    A plot item that could help him explore the chaotic space didn''t help in increasing the plot exploration rate? It seemed that in the eyes of the system, the library''s Section B and the rooftop of the dormitory had no rtion to the main plot.


    Gu Yi looked outside. The void passage to the library hadn''t closed yet. He could rest for half an hour in the library to recover his mental energy and then go explore Section B.


    He put thepass in the pocket, bid farewell to the coach, and returned to the library. He found a spot to sit and then slept for a while.


    Half an hourter, Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    There was still half an hour before the library closed, enough time for Gu Yi to take a look around the Section.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You leave your seat and approach the entrance to the Section B.)


    (The librarian still won''t let you in.)


    (You go to the back door and sneak into Section B using the method from before.)


    (You light up the lighter.)


    (With the lighter''s guidance, the chaotic space in Section B appears orderly to your eyes. Not only are there books, but various security systems and traps are also present. Even with thepass, you need to proceed with caution.)


    (You pick up a book and skim through it.)


    (Most of the content is still indecipherable due to the cognitive barrier of Section B.)


    (You can only make out the first half of the book, which mostly consists of brief histories of extinct civilizations.)


    (The content mostly details how these civilizationsbatted the weird world, but what thetter half of the book contains remains unknown to you.)


    (Suddenly, you hear heavy footsteps.)


    (The librarian appears behind you.)


    (Librarian: Oh, there''s a little bookworm here.)


    (The librarian smashes your head with his fist.)


    (Everything goes blood-red in your vision.)


    (You have died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    The books in Section B seemed to be mostly historical, but they had a different focus.


    If he could memorize all these contents and bring them back to the real world, it would undoubtedly advance human civilization and technology by years.


    Thetter half of the historical books were obscured by mist, a result of the system''s cognitive barrier.


    Furthermore, the librarian remained an insurmountable obstacle.


    However, up until now, Gu Yi had no idea how to bypass the librarian.


    "Additionally... the coach mentioned they''re Traveller Star people, able to move through chaotic spaces. That librarian also seems to be a Traveller... Do these beings have any weaknesses?"


    To be more efficient, Gu Yi closed his eyes, using his talent to search between the bookshelves.


    He came upon a book titled "Encyclopedia of All Realms." Opening it, he found a bookmark sandwiched in the middle, with a handwritten sentence on it.


    <i>[We are thest morticians[1].]</i>


    The handwritten note had a consistent style ¨C cryptic sentences that felt elusive.


    "This must be the kind of prose a philosopher writes."


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment, then tucked the bookmark into his pocket.


    Flipping through the table of contents, Gu Yi finally found the records regarding the "Traveller Star People."


    <i>[This is a unique race proficient in spatial technology. Every Traveller Star person is born with the innate ability to space-jump, allowing them to traverse millions of light-years in the blink of an eye.]</i>


    <i>[They are among the very few beings that can contend with the mastermind of the Weird World. The Ascenders fought with the Weird World for three centuries, while the Traveller Star People were still on the run, evading the hunt of the Weird World.]</i>


    <i>[They might not be the most powerful, but they surely are the fastest runners.]</i>


    <i>[It is said that their space-jump ability was acquired within the Weird World itself.]</i>


    <i>[The only weakness of the Traveller Star People is their love for drinking. If you can find the wine they love, they might drink recklessly, bing thoroughly intoxicated. Only a very few Traveller Star people with strong will can resist the temptation of alcohol.]</i>


    "Atst, there''s a clue."


    Gu Yi closed the book and put it back on the shelf.


    The closing music for the library sounded again.


    Gu Yi turned and left the library, heading back to the dormitory.


    As usual, after Chen Zeyu finished his nightly routine, he went straight to bed. Gu Yi closed his eyes, beginning a new round of exploration.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take all the tools you need and sneak into the bathroom.)


    (You create another void walking potion.)


    (You''ve be increasingly skilled. With just your inherent willpower, you can resist the mental contamination thates with potion-making.)


    (Holding the potion, you stealthily make your way to the rooftop of the dormitory.)


    (You open the door, drink the potion, and light the lighter.)


    (You plunge into the void.)


    (In the chaotic space, you spot the shadow of a massive entity that looks like a fallen giant.)


    (As you approach the figure, it turns out to be a shuttle-like spaceship, and you easily find its entrance.)


    (After you enter the spaceship, the effect of your potion also wears off.)

 Chapter 132: Spaceship on the Rooftop

    <h4>Chapter 132: Spaceship on the Rooftop</h4>


    (You look behind you, the tidal waves of the void are blocked by the cabin door, unable to harm you.£©


    (You explore inside the cabin.£©


    (You arrive at the cockpit, where variousplex devices are before you. You can''t discern their functions, but thebels on the buttons are written in the script of the Traveller Star People.£©


    (On the pilot''s seat lie two sets of bones, closely resembling human skeletons.£©


    (You continue exploring the cabin.£©


    (Inside a cab in the rest area, you find a bottle of wine.£©


    (Clearly, this wine might be the tool used to bypass the security in Section B.£©


    (You ponder for a moment.£©


    (ording to the records in "Encyclopedia of All Realms", the Traveller Star People possess the universe''s unparalleled ability to escape danger. So, why did the two pilots end up trapped and perished inside this dungeon of the Weird World?£©


    (Are the two Traveller Star People in the dungeon ¡ª the coach and the librarian ¡ª original Traveller Star people, or mere reflections?£©


    (How much of the records within this dungeon about the realms and the Weird World can be trusted?£©


    (Why does this dungeon specifically introduce a race with such an overpowered escape ability?£©


    (The history books of the Ascenders mentioned that the "Mastermind" repeatedly gives humans hope, only to relentlessly crush it. Could the depiction of the Traveller Star People be another fleeting "glimmer of hope" revealed by the Weird World?£©


    (You lie on the floor, your mind is a jumbled mess.£©


    (After resting for a while, your emotions gradually stabilize.£©


    (You take out a pen and paper, and just like before, you start jotting down all the clues you''ve gathered.£©


    (1. The library is like a vast historical museum. Most of its historical books record civilizations that went extinct due to the resurgence of the Weird World.£©


    (2. The Ascenders are the race that battled the Weird World for the longest time.£©


    (3. The Traveller Star People are the only race that can escape the pursuit of the Weird World.£©


    (4. What message does the handwritten philosopher''s prose want to convey? And who wrote it?£©


    (5. Is the information provided in clues 1-3 a smokescreen thrown by the dungeon world or trustworthy facts?£©


    (You lie on the floor, thinking of Toto from the Chongshan Hospital.£©


    (Using the weird powers of the dungeon, she left a backdoor in it, leveraging the power of "Good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds have consequences," to assist adventurers in sessfully clearing the stage.£©


    (Could the handwritten note follow the same logic as Toto''s blood-written messages?£©


    (Youy the three notes you''ve acquired side by side, studying them closely.£©


    (1. [What makes us human is ourplex emotions.]£©


    (This hints at the importance of sentimentality for the adventurer.£©


    (2. [If a human''s weighs 3.5 kilograms, how much would a civilization weigh?]£©


    (This is a metaphor; the thick history books are the final ashes of extinct civilizations. It indirectly tells the adventurer to trust the authenticity of the history books.£©


    (3. [We are thest morticians.£©


    (The third note needs to be understood in conjunction with the second one. If history books are the ashes of extinct civilizations, then those who document and preserve history naturally be thest morticians.£©


    (Thus, the author of the handwritten notes is a witness to history, the mortician of extinct civilizations, and likely belongs to a race even more powerful than the Ascenders and Traveller Star People.£©


    (You put down the pen and paper.£©


    (You feel you''re very close to the truth of this dungeon world. You specte that the entire Wapeng Highschool was created by a mortician.£©


    (However, knowing all this seems to be of no use.£©


    (The system''s plot exploration progress is entirely based on exam progress. Even if you figured out the identity of the mortician, it has no benefit to the exam results.£©


    (You continue to explore inside the spaceship but don''t find any useful clues or tools.£©


    (You end the deduction!£©


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    Atop the dormitory building, within the chaotic space,y a spaceship hiding a bottle of red wine of unknown vintage. However, he was sure that the librarian would undoubtedly be unable to resist such a wine.


    Yet, to obtain this exquisite wine, Gu Yi would need two bottles of magical potions.


    After some contemtion, Gu Yi decided first to head to the toilet to create a backup of his Void Walking potion. He nned to try to ess the rooftop of the dormitory the next day after obtaining a new dream fragment.


    "Sigh..."


    Fatigued, Gu Yiy down on his bed.


    The inappropriate barrage ofments reappeared before his eyes, but he paid them no heed.


    Drawing nearly 200 milliliters of blood from his body over two days caused some difort.


    He didn''t have professional blood-drawing tools, so when he bled himself, he had to keep poking holes in his own arm to prevent the wounds from healing and stopping the blood flow.


    However, Gu Yi couldn''t sleep at all.


    Tomorrow would be the fourth day of the exams, and he still hadn''t found any clues to end the dungeon early.


    This meant he would inevitably have to make the most brutal decision.


    .........


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Zeyu opened his eyes groggily. He looked over and was surprised to see Gu Yi awake before him.


    "Is there something special today? Why are you up so early?"


    "It''s not that I got up early. I hardly sleptst night."


    "What happened?"


    "Isn''t today the day we have to give up someone most important to us?"


    "Yes."


    Chen Zeyu nodded and hopped out of bed.


    "Aren''t you upset at all?"


    "You were bound to face this day eventually." Chen Zeyu replied, dressing as he spoke, "Before my parents sent me to this school, they knew I might have to give them up. They were mentally prepared before sending me here."


    "Why send you here even knowing that?"


    "It''s a price to pay, a necessary sacrifice. There''s no gain without sacrifice."


    Gu Yi remained silent.


    Chen Zeyu turned to face Gu Yi, chuckling, "I thought you were a top student. I assumed you wouldn''t care about such things. Why lose sleep over such a trivial matter?"


    "Don''t you feel sad? It''s already quite unpleasant to give up cherished items, but to abandon significant people..."


    "That''s precisely why I won''t forfeit this exam opportunity and the chance to stand out. Let me be candid. The three significant people I chose are my parents and my grandmother.


    The first I''d give up would definitely be my grandmother. She''s quite old, with numerous health issues. Remaining in this world only brings her more pain. Sacrificing her life to further my aspirations is a worthwhile trade.


    The second to go would undoubtedly be my mother. Despite being rtively young, she has almost no ability to earn and support the family. If any danger arose at home, she wouldn''t be much help, so she''s my second choice.


    Thest one would naturally be my father. He''s in his prime, and although he might not contribute much to society, he''s the backbone of our family. Thus, I can only give him upst. However, his sacrifice won''t be in vain. I''ll sessfully graduate from Wapeng High School and take over his job.


    This is how a true Wapeng person should think. Do you understand now?


    The order in which we choose to abandon people is also part of the final exam. Please, stop being so naive."

 Chapter 133: Sophistry

    <h4>Chapter 133: Sophistry</h4>


    Gu Yi was shocked by his roommate''s perspective.


    "Why are you so indifferent? Are you happy to watch the most important person in your life die before your eyes?"


    "Don''t be naive, my friend. What kind of ce do you think it is? Think about it carefully, it''s a ce that can elevate you from being beneath everyone to being above all, a ce where you can change your own destiny! If you study in Wapeng, once you leave, you can walk confidently among themoners."


    "I don''t want my family''s lives to be stepping stones for me. How are you any different from a beast?"


    "Heheh...haha..."


    Chen Zeyu burst intoughter, then turned and stared intently at Gu Yi.


    "Brother, do you realize?


    Even if you weren''t in Wapeng High School, your parents have been sacrificing their own lives willingly to be your stepping stones, and you''ve been contentedly epting it all along.


    When you were born, your mother endured the greatest pain in the world, risking death fromplications to bring you into this world.


    As you grew up, your father worked tirelessly, overexerting his body day and night, just so you could grow up healthy and attend the best schools.


    Maybe when you get married in the future, both your parents and your inws will empty all four of their wallets, helping you and your spouse buy a home of your own.


    Haven''t you always epted all of this without hesitation?


    Hey, my dear brother.


    Who are you to judge me?


    We''re essentially the same."


    Chen Zeyu turned and walked away.


    Gu Yi couldn''t see Chen Zeyu''s expression at that moment. His worldview was crumbling bit by bit. He slumped in his chair, his mind a whirl of confusion.


    He found that, for a moment, he couldn''t find any reason to refute Chen Zeyu.


    <i>If I have a child someday...</i>


    <i>If there really was such a school in the world where once you entered, you would 100% be superior to others.</i>


    <i>If the price for the child to enter this school was sacrificing my own life, perhaps I would also agree without hesitation.</i>


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>What if, at this moment, the child was myself?</i>


    <i>How could one allow their parents to give up their lives for one''s sess?</i>


    Gu Yi covered his face, unable to stand for a long time.


    Despair approached step by step.


    An invisible dark hand was slowly reaching for Gu Yi''s throat.


    ......


    "...We''re essentially the same."


    Inside the Real world.


    Chen Zeyu''s words echoed in the ears of every Dragon Country citizen through the live broadcast.


    Qu Kangping sat in his seat, fidgeting with a lighter, shaking his head.


    "This is clearly just sophistry. How does Gu Yi not know how to refute it? He''s still too naive."


    "Team Leader, why do I feel... like what he said made a lot of sense?"


    "Bullshit, he''s conting ideas.


    Parents selflessly dedicate themselves to their children, even willing to sacrifice their lives for them. It''s undeniable, as every normal parent would do so for their child.


    Simrly, every normal child loves their parents and would do everything in their power to repay them and ease their worries.


    Because love is mutual.


    Normal parents are willing to sacrifice their lives for their children, but this doesn''t mean you can easily disregard their lives. No normal child would sacrifice their beloved parents for their own future.


    In such a high-pressure situation, Gu Yi couldn''t think of a counter-argument, and thus fell into a state of moral copse. None of us could help him. If he couldn''t figure it out himself, he would gradually lose himself until he was eroded by the weirdness.


    Even now, he still ces the responsibility of abandoning his family squarely on himself, forgetting that the actual culprits of all this are the despicable director and host."


    Qu Kangping analyzed calmly.


    Gu Yi is undoubtedly exceptional in decryption and taking risks, but when faced with a direct test of human nature, hecks some experience.


    After all, he''s just a college student. When faced with the sophistry of NPCs, he''s not as quick-witted.


    Qu Kangping sighed deeply.


    At that moment, an agent rushed into Qu Kangping''s office, speaking rapidly, "Leader, the video conference is about to start."


    "I know, I''ll be right there."


    Qu Kangping, unusually meticulous, dressed in a suit, put on a tie, andbed his hair perfectly. He sat in the center of the conference room surrounded by dozens ofputers, connected to the leaders of strategy teams from several major countries.


    "Hello, everyone, I am Qu Kangping, the leader of the Dragon Country''s strategy team. Today''s video conference is hosted by our Dragon Country."


    Qu Kangping introduced himself with neither humility nor arrogance, his tiger-like eyes scanning the room.


    Lighthouse Country remarked, "Let''s skip the formalities, Team Leader Qu. Leave the bureaucratic details to the diplomatic department."


    Qu Kangping replied, "Very well, let''s dive straight into today''s topic. First off, we''ve analyzed the texts written by Gu Yi. In this dungeon, he discovered some historical books in the dungeon which discuss the history of parallel worlds. I''ve sent the details to your respective email ounts in advance."


    The leaders from various countries flipped through the materials in their hands.


    Lighthouse Country: "Friend, we''ve also analyzed this, but we believe it''s likely fabricated, a setup by the weird world to intensify the despair of adventurers."


    Sakura Country: "We mustn''t dismiss it, we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario."


    Qu Kangping: "Exactly, better safe than sorry. However, that''s not our most pressing agenda. I have several other questions for Kimchi Country."


    Kimchi Country: "Us?"


    Qu Kangping: "Yes, your adventurer was the first to die. Have any new weird forces emerged within your country since?"


    Kimchi Country: "Not yet. We also noticed this contradiction. Usually, the death of an adventurer means a failed mission and new weird forces would immediately emerge within ournds.


    However, this time, despite the adventurer''s death, the dungeon was considered cleared. Our citizens are now celebrating nationwide. I believe this abnormal national sentiment is the new weird force."


    Sakura Country: "Could it be possible that your people are just taking pleasure in the misfortune?"


    Kimchi Country: "Say that again?"


    Lighthouse Country: "Enough, both of you, no quarreling here. Resolve personal issues privately. We''re here only to discuss matters of the weird world."


    Sakura Country and Kimchi Country both fell silent.


    Lighthouse Country: "Team Leader Qu, do you have any other intel to share?"


    Qu Kangping: "Indeed, something we mentioned in ourst meeting. We''ve confirmed that the real world and the weird world have a mapping rtionship.


    Furthermore, this mapping might be global. We must intensify our efforts against Fanatics. Secondly, we need to control the barrage in the weird world. We''ve perfected the technology to pinpoint barrage senders, and I''m willing to share it with everyone for free..."


    The team leaders from various countries were engaged in intense discussions.


    Suddenly, the conference room door burst open.


    Qu Kangping turned to see an agent, pale-faced and panting, "Team Leader, there''s trouble. Our base is under attack by weird forces, they''re targeting Gu Yi''s family."


    Qu Kangping quickly stood up, bowing apologetically to the group, "I''m sorry, we''ve had an unexpected situation here. We''ll continue this discussionter."

 Chapter 134: Helpless Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 134: Helpless Surrender</h4>


    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>


    The entire building of the strategy team was shaking violently.


    Qu Kangping ran all the way to the front of the Scranton Stabilizer Anchor.


    Gu Yi''s grandmother was lying in that spindle-shaped device, looking out of the ss with a face full of horror, trying to scream but unable to make a sound.


    Qu Kangping felt a tremor in his heart, a premonition of death rising in his mind.


    In this moment of crisis, Qu Kangping''s talent of inspiration came into y once again.


    A twisted ck hand tore through the void passage, reaching for the Scranton Stabilizer Anchor, and a fierce battle ensued between the two, causing everything around them to be chaotic and distorted.


    "Ah!"


    "Don''te here, don''te here!"


    "Help!"


    Cries for help rose and fell one after another.


    Qu Kangping turned his head and saw that many agents had begun to show signs of madness; even though they had already taken mental potions, they couldn''t withstand this powerful mental erosion.


    The only ones still standing were retired adventurers like Qu Kangping.


    However, Qu Kangping felt that even he could not withstand such pressure for more than ten minutes.


    "Don''t touch that switch!"


    A crazed agent was heading towards the switch of the Scranton Stabilizer Anchor. Qu Kangping cursed loudly, and without hesitation, drew his gun and shot.


    "Ah¡ª"


    The crazed agent was shot in the leg, blood spilling everywhere.


    The other agents rushed over and quickly subdued him.


    Qu Kangping''s vision was blurred, and he saw a stream of red smoke extending towards the prison¡ªthis was his talent of inspiration giving hint to him.


    However...


    Red signified danger and murderous intent.


    <i>Going there, wasn''t it akin to courting death?</i>


    "Team leader, it''s bad! There''s a group of weird creatures outside the base!"


    "The guys at the door can''t hold on much longer, there are too many of them!"


    It never rains but it pours.


    They hadn''t dealt with the weird forces inside the base, and now new monsters were attacking from outside.


    Qu Kangping shook his head; now he had no choice but to trust the hint from his intuition.


    "Protect the Scranton Stabilizer Anchor at all costs, and if anyone dares to touch the switch, shoot to kill!"


    "Yes!"


    Qu Kangping left an order and ran along the red smoke without looking back. He arrived at the end of the smoke and found that it pointed to Jin Xin, who had nothing left but a head.


    "Hehehe¡ª" Jin Xin slowly opened his eyes, "Team leader, what brings you to chat with me today?"


    .................


    Fifteen minutes earlier.


    Inside the Weird World.


    Gu Yi was sitting in his dormitory, his inner negative emotions spreading uncontrobly, drowning in deep self-me, wishing he could just crash into a wall and end his life.


    "I''m useless..."


    Suddenly, Gu Yi felt a tingling on his scalp. He looked up to see a pair of ck ws slowly reaching towards his neck.


    "Get lost!"


    A strong will to survive snapped Gu Yi back to his senses. He pushed away the ws in front of him and quickly used psychological suggestions on himself to calm his emotions.


    The ck ws disappeared into thin air.


    "Damn, I was fooled by him."


    Gu Yi pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.


    It had to be said, Chen Zeyu''s speech was very provocative, andbined with his own sleepless night and immense stress, it was no wonder he had been taken in by Chen Zeyu''s trick.


    Not a single one of the ssmates in the dungeon could be trusted.


    He couldn''t lower his guard against Chen Zeyu just because they were roommates. The entire worldview of the dungeon was distorted, and if he believed any of the sophistry of an NPC, death would not be far away.


    Gu Yi went downstairs and bought a bottle of almond water from the vending machine. After drinking it, his mind felt much refreshed.


    At this time, the students had all gathered in the lobby on the first floor, chatting in small groups.


    About three minutester, the dormitory supervisor, the "aunt," came to the lobby.


    "Good morning, students, this is now your fourth day at the Wapeng High school. Before we officially start, we need to eliminate some students with poor grades. So far, anyone with a total score below 25 points will be expelled."


    Gu Yi looked around and saw that at least half of the students had vanished into thin air, leaving only their uniforms on the ground.


    The aunt looked at the remaining students and smiled.


    "Very good, you all have strong resilience. Next, you will need to give up the most important person to you to qualify for the exam."


    Gu Yi took a step back and stood in the middle of the crowd.


    A student stepped forward in front of the aunt and reported a name.


    "Who is this person to you?"


    "He is my friend."


    The aunt closed her eyes and thought for a while, "Hey, that person is already dead. This is cheating."


    "Huh? I didn''t know..."


    "Kid, you were lucky not to be caught by the teacher when you filled out the form, but Auntie here doesn¡¯t tolerate any tricks."


    "Aunt, listen to my exnation..."


    "Expelled!"


    With arge wave of her hand, the dormitory aunt pushed the cheating student into the void.


    "Next, it''s you!"


    "Me?"


    Gu Yi looked around.


    "Yes, you,e here." The aunt said with a smile, "Who are you prepared to give up?"


    Gu Yi thought for a moment, deciding to follow Chen Zeyu''s line of thought, he chose his grandmother, "I choose to give up... my grandmother."


    "Good," the dormitory aunt nodded and made way for Gu Yi, "You may enter the examination hall."


    Gu Yi sobbed softly, as if his heart was bleeding, step by step he walked towards the teaching building.


    Those ck ws appeared before him once again, he closed his eyes and with a punch, dispersed the ck w from in front of him.


    "You bastard... I will kill you one day."


    ........


    At this moment, audiences around the globe were in an uproar.


    Many adventurers, due to insufficient scores, had already lost their qualifications for adventure and were thrown into the incinerator to be burned to ash.


    With the death of adventurers, arge number of countries achieved the normal level clearance.


    These countries were mostly unknown small nations that had never produced any notable adventurers and had suffered greatly at the hands of the weird creatures.


    Now, having finally achieved the normal level of clearance, they had every reason to be happy.


    "Thank you, adventurer!"


    "Thank you, adventurer!"


    "Thanks to the sacrifice of the adventurers, we have finally got some peace."


    Suchments were being posted everywhere globally, but Anderson, the team leader from the Lighthouse Country, had a foreboding feeling.


    Anderson looked towards his subordinates, picked up the file, and said, "I remember... all of Chris''s family members are dead, whose name did he write?"


    At that moment.


    Chris was standing right in front of the dormitory aunt.


    "Now you need to choose to give up someone important, who will it be?"


    "Anderson."


    Chris did not hesitate in the slightest.


    "The person you speak of, who is that?"


    "He is sort of my superior," Chris exined, "He''s my team leader. If I graduate from this school, I would be working under him."


    "Why didn''t you fill in the names of your parents or siblings? We are supposed to fill in a family member''s name first unless you have no love for them."


    "I would have liked to, but unfortunately, all my rtives are dead."


    "Oh, is that so." The dormitory aunt closed her eyes and thought for a moment, "Yes, there is indeed such a person in the world, and you do have such a rtionship with him, you''ve passed."


    The dormitory aunt nodded and allowed Chris to enter the examination hall.


    There was a stir among the strategy team of the Lighthouse Country as they all turned to look in the direction of their team leader.


    But they found that he had already turned into a stone statue.

 Chapter 135: The Third Exam

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Third Exam</h4>


    "What''s going on?"


    "The team leader of the Lighthouse Country has turned into a statue."


    "Just now, Dragon Country also said there was trouble at their side, has any new informatione through?"


    "A red alert has been issued in Dragon Country, and at the moment no new news has arrived!"


    Dragon Country and Lighthouse Country have always been the strongest nations inbating the weird world, with the most retired adventurers and the most advanced anti-weird technologies.


    If something happened to the team leaders of these two countries, the entire world order could undergo a massive change.


    "Everyone, stay calm," the team leader from Bear Country stepped forward. "Lighthouse Country, do you need assistance now?"


    On the other side of the camera, a group of agents carried away the statue-like team leader Anderson.


    One of the agents sat in front of the camera and said calmly, "Respected Leaders, our team leader has been turned into a stone statue by weird power, and we do not currently understand the principle behind it. I am the deputy team leader of the strategy team, and I will be acting as the interim team leader of the Lighthouse Country''s strategy team."


    "Okay, what about Dragon Country?"


    "There is still no newsing through; they seem to be in a tough battle."


    "How is it going on the weird world''s side?"


    "All the surviving adventurers have entered the examination hall."


    The leader of Bear Country shook his head helplessly.


    Now, those countries with the poorest scores had be the safest.


    Lighthouse Country and Dragon Country, which currently had the highest levels of exploration, were now in precarious situations¡ªone having lost its leader and the other having issued a red alert.


    The difficulty of the weird world was indeed getting higher and higher, and the influence of its rules was also bing greater.


    "I willmunicate with Dragon Country''s government immediately to see if they need support. You guys continue the meeting," said the leader of Bear Country before hanging up the video call.


    .......


    Inside the Weird world...


    Gu Yi sat in the ssroom, waiting for the teacher to distribute the test papers.


    He stared straight at the teacher, his eyes burning with mes of anger.


    "Your eyes look like they could eat someone," the invigting teacher nced at Gu Yi, "Do well on your test, child."


    The teacher ced the test paper on Gu Yi''s desk and walked away with a smile.


    As Gu Yi''s gaze returned to the nk paper, he once again lost control of his body.


    Gu Yi looked around; it seemed to be a break room, and he was wearing a uniform.


    There were four other people dressed in the same uniform, each with aputer of the same model behind them. A man in a suit was standing in front of a whiteboard, his mouth moving as if he was passionately saying something.


    "I''ve told you before, we have to lose this match. Do you want to die?"


    "Coach Li, we don''t want to get involved in match-fixing," said the yer with the captain''s armband, "If we get caught, we''ll be banned for life."


    The captain spoke up, but the other three teammates kept their heads down, not daring to make a statement. Since Gu Yi couldn''t control his body at the moment, he could only watch as events unfolded.


    "Ridiculous, once you''re on this ship, you can''t escape. Don''t forget, each of you still owes me hundreds of thousands!"


    The captain continued, "No, I''m not willing to fake the game! If we win the championship, we can pay back what we owe you."


    "Do you really think you can win the championship? You bunch of losers. If you win the championship, I make three hundred thousand; if you lose the game, I make three million. Who do you think will lose out?


    You''re just a bunch of people ying games, talking to me about sportsmanship? About collective honor? You are nothing but tools for me to make money."


    The coach opened the door to the break room and pointed outside.


    "Look out there, all the media are waiting to interview you! Go out now and see for yourself, speak your truth and guess which way the public opinion will sway? When we were ying in the citypetition, you participated in the gambling with me. If this gets out to the media, who do you think they''ll believe?"


    "That was you forcing us!"


    "Do you have any evidence? Idiot! Those media and referees at the door are my people, how can you fight me?"


    "But..."


    "y the game match properly and stop your whining here," the coach threatened, "If you don''t do as I say, I''ll throw you all into the sea as fish food. However, if you lose this match as told, I will give each of you a reward of one million. Choose whichever you want!"


    The coach turned to leave.


    Suddenly, a phone on the podium rang. The coach looked down and saw that it was Gu Yi''s phone ringing.


    "Gu Yi, your phone."


    Gu Yi walked up to the coach.


    Holding the phone, the coach threatened, "Put it on speaker, and if you say anything out of line, I''ll kill you right away."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    "Hello, son."


    "Dad, what''s up?"


    "Your mother''s surgery is still pending, we''ve borrowed from all rtives and friends, but we''re still short of 500,000. When will you be able to gather the money?"


    "I... I think I''ll have it sorted out in a bit."


    The image and the sound stopped abruptly.


    The invigtor once again announced the exam rules.


    "Final exams begin."


    "Third subject: Stress Test."


    "Examination requirements:"


    "1. Please answer using a ck ink pen or fountain pen. If neither works, please use fresh blood."


    "2. Once an answer is set, it cannot be changed. Answer with caution."


    "3. This exam adopts a dream simtion approach. The exam duration is 24 hours. The passage of time here does not synchronize with reality. Allocate your time wisely. Everything that happens in this dream will not affect reality."


    "4. Candidates must face various pressures during the exam. The invigtor will determine your final score based on your performance during the exam. Every decision you make and every word you say may be the basis for scoring."


    "5. The maximum score for this exam is Emotionality: 10 points, Rationality: 10 points. If the total score exceeds 12 points, the test-taker will receive a dream fragment as a reward."


    "The examination will officially begin after the candidate says ''Begin''."


    Gu Yi felt inwardly distressed.


    This time''s exam question was like stacking all kinds of debuffs to the maximum.


    In order to save his mother, he must find a way to get the money as quickly as possible.


    However, getting that money would require him topromise his professional ethics by participating in a fixed match.


    The power of public opinion was in the coach''s hands, and he had no way to use it to speak for himself, plus the evidence of the coach''s threats was hard toe by.


    Morals.


    Public opinion.


    The third subject¡¯s examinationbined the previous two exams to test the candidates on what kind of choices they would make under such extreme dilemmas and pressure.


    "Ha... No one can have it all, right?" Gu Yi suddenly realized what Chen Zeyu had warned him about, "Sorry, I don''t believe in that saying. Let''s begin the exam!"


    A sh of white light passed before Gu Yi¡¯s eyes, and he finally regained control of his own body.

 Chapter 136: The Moon

    <h4>Chapter 136: The Moon</h4>


    Jin Xin slowly opened his eyes, smiling at Qu Kangping, "Team leader, what brings you to chat with me today?"


    Qu Kangping looked at Jin Xin, gasping for breath, "What should I do?"


    "Hahaha... you''re asking me? You did ask the right person... Ouch!"


    Qu Kangping took off the ss dome on Jin Xin''s head and poked a finger through Jin Xin''s eyeball, "I am not asking you."


    Jin Xin screamed in pain, wishing he could immediately bite through Qu Kangping''s neck, "You old thing, how dare you do this to me?"


    "Shut up!"


    Qu Kangping ran out holding Jin Xin''s dead head.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Suddenly, a bunch of cracks appeared on the corridor wall, and Qu Kangping instinctively jumped back.


    A hairy monstrous hand broke through the wall, reaching out towards Qu Kangping.


    Qu Kangping, holding Jin Xin''s head under his arm, quickly drew his gun and fired.


    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>


    The mercury bullets pierced through the ck w, and the ck blood instantly stained the entire wall red.


    "Roar!"


    Instead of retreating, the ck w tore arge hole in the wall.


    "I''m here, I''m here!"


    Jin Xin yelled loudly for help.


    The monster, hearing Jin Xin''s voice, turned its head toward him as expected.


    "Fuck, shut up!"


    Qu Kangping stuffed a jar of salt into Jin Xin''s mouth.


    Jin Xin''s eyes rolled back, his cheeks twitching uncontrobly.


    "Roar!"


    The monster let out a loud roar and charged at Qu Kangping. It had a green face and fangs and stood two to three meters tall, toorge for the narrow corridor.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The giant w swiped at Qu Kangping''s head, shaving off a few strands of his hair.


    Qu Kangping stepped forward and pressed the muzzle of his gun against the chest of the beast, repeatedly pulling the trigger.


    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>


    "Roar¡ª"


    The monster let out a pained howl and fell to the ground.


    Qu Kangping took out thest jar of salt he had and sprinkled it over the head of the creature.


    "Tell me, what should I do!"


    Qu Kangping''s eyes were red with desperation as he tried to summon all his intuition.


    Finally, a faint red glow flickered before his eyes, heading straight to the west side of the prison room.


    That was where the prisoners'' personal belongings were stored. Was the intuition telling him to look for Jin Xin''s personal items?


    "Guess I''m down to myst resort."


    In the real world, one couldn''t use abilities from the weird world; he had to rely on rare bursts of intuition to find a sliver of hope.


    As soon as he entered the storage room, Qu Kangping rummaged through the boxes and found Jin Xin''s belongings.


    A paintbrush, an iplete set of tarot cards, and a suit that could change shape at will.


    "Right... I remember Gu Yi mentioned Jin Xin''s abilities, and his tarot cards also possessed strange powers."


    As he thought, Qu Kangping picked up the paintbrush and tarot cards.


    He spread the tarot cards out on the table, only to find they were all nk, with no images whatsoever.


    Qu Kangping pondered for a moment, then he shuffled the tarot cards, split the deck, and ced it next to Jin Xin''s head.


    Suddenly, his inspiration began to spiral out of control, and Qu Kangping''s vision was filled with red light.


    He no longer knew whether his choice was right or wrong.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Outside, there were intense sounds of smashing, gunshots and roaring.


    The weird force that tried to invade the Scranton Stability Anchor was piercing through the wall, heading straight for Qu Kangping''s chest.


    This weirdness was the strongest ever encountered.


    If a decision was not made soon, death would be their only fate.


    "This time, it''s all down to fate."


    Qu Kangping took out a paintbrush, dipped it in blue paint, and brushed it across Jin Xin''s face.


    The tarot cards beside him immediately reacted, bursting into a shimmer of eerie blue light.


    "Heheheheheh¡ª"


    A sinisterugh echoed in Qu Kangping''s ears as an ethereal ck hand pierced through his chest, directly clutching his heart.


    "Ah!"


    Qu Kangping cried out in pain and hastily pulled a card from the deck.


    The card depicted a full moon over two towering peaks, and at the bottom in English was written "The Moon."


    A portal of void opened before Qu Kangping.


    Both Qu Kangping and Jin Xin were sucked into the portal.


    ...


    "Look, Patrick, what''s that? Is it a jellyfish?"


    "No, SpongeBob, that''s a human."


    "Pika?"


    "Don''t be afraid, Pikachu, they don''t bite."


    <i>Thud.</i>


    Qu Kangping crawled out of the dirt, looked up, and saw several oddly shaped beings. The sky was pitch ck, illuminated only by a purple moon.


    All around were tents striped in blue and red, with cheerful music floating through the air.


    "Where is this?"


    Qu Kangping dusted off the dirt from his body and turned to see Jin Xin''s lifeless head obediently lying in the pit, rolling his eyes back and foaming at the mouth.


    "Oh, wee to the Dark Moon Circus, my friend."


    Ss Dark Moon approached Qu Kangping with tiny steps, only reaching up to Qu Kangping''s knees. Along with Dark Moon came a group of clowns, all curiously observing Qu Kangping.


    "Wait..." Qu Kangping said in surprise, looking at the palm of his hand, "I can use my talent again, is this the weird world?"


    "Um... yes and no, this is the Dark Moon Circus."


    "The Dark Moon Circus, I know of you, I''ve heard about you from Gu Yi."


    "Ha, he''s one of the most interesting audiences I''ve ever had,"ughed Dark Moon. "Wee to the Circus, you can enjoy your pleasant time here to the fullest."


    "Wait, Mr. Dark Moon. I heard that one can make certain trades here, right? Can you fulfill my wish?"


    "Um... of course, we can."


    Qu Kangping thought for a moment and then handed the remaining tarot cards to Dark Moon.


    "Can these be exchanged for a wish?"


    "Oh my? Such good stuff?"


    Dark Moon examined the tarot cards in his hands, looking over them fondly and seemingly captivated.


    Jin Xin moaned, struggling up from the pit with his jaw, and started cursing at Dark Moon, "You waste, don''t even think about getting your hands on my cards."


    Dark Moon didn''t even nce at Jin Xin.


    Jin Xin roared in anger, and suddenly, a palette appeared on his face.


    "Someone, get this eyesore out of my sight."


    "Beep¡ª"


    A clown, whistling, ran out from behind, pulled a spittoon from his pants, and put it over Jin Xin''s head.


    Jin Xin kept crashing around inside the spittoon, but he couldn''t escape it no matter what he did.


    Qu Kangping nced at the spittoon; it had a lotus painted on it, lifelike and quite pleasing to the eye.


    "On my turf, you have to follow my rules, idiot."


    Dark Moon spread out the tarot cards and counted them, curiously remarking,


    "Why are there some cards missing from this deck? Death, The Tower, and also The Moon are gone. Huh? Even The Fool, which is the most crucial, is missing? The Moon was your ticket in, so where did you use the remaining cards?"


    "I don''t know." Upon hearing this, Qu Kangping blinked, "If a few cards are missing... does that mean I can''t make a wish?"

 Chapter 137: Compromise (1)

    <h4>Chapter 137: Compromise (1)</h4>


    "That''s not necessarily the case. However, the wish I can grant you will have to be somewhat discounted. First tell me, what do you wish for? As long as it''s not something like annihting the director or something simr, I can do it."


    "Can you relocate the base of our Dragon Country''s strategy team to the Dark Moon Circus?" Qu Kangping said urgently, "Not just the various buildings in the base, but also the people and equipment need to be moved over."


    "Oh, is that so... You want to stay here permanently?"


    "No, no, no, three days will be enough."


    "Ha? Three days will be enough?"


    "Yes."


    "Then aren''t you at a loss?"


    "Don''t worry about that, just move them here first, I''m afraid they''ll be in danger."


    "Don''t worry, they won''t be in danger with me around." Dark Moon turned to the clowns and said, "Take down the fortune-teller''s tent, he won''t be needing it anymore."


    "Beep¡ª"


    The clowns blew their whistles, saluted in an exaggerated fashion, and then, joining hands, they blew together and sent the fortune-teller''s tent flying up into the sky.


    "Wee to the Dark Moon Circus~ Thrilling adventures await you~"


    Dark Moon spread his arms wide and shouted towards the sky.


    A huge void portal descended from the heavens, flickering with blue and white lightning; the strategy team''s base appeared out of thin air andnded where the tent had been.


    "Amazing..."


    Qu Kangping blinked and quickly rushed into the base.


    At that moment, the base was in disarray. Some were dead, others injured, and the bodies of monsters and agents were scattered everywhere. Qu Kangping ran straight to the Scranton Stability Anchor; thankfully, Gu Yi''s family was unharmed.


    "Team leader, where is this?"


    "The Dark Moon Circus."


    "What?"


    The agents gathered around Qu Kangping, looking puzzled.


    Dark Moon arrived at the base with a troop of clowns, cheerfully performing for the agents.


    Qu Kangping had no mood for the show, as he faintly sensed a weird power pursuing them.


    "Leader Dark Moon."


    "Oh, what can I do for you?"


    "I want to ask if we hide here, will we still be attacked by that weird power?"


    "Tsk... Theoretically, no." Dark Moon pointed to his nose and said, "In fact, ording to the standards of the weird world, I am also a weird power. However, the most fundamental principle of the weird world is to follow the rules. In my domain, they have to follow my rules. As long as you are in my territory, no one can harm you. The Circus needs to wee every guest."


    Dark Moon bowed.


    Suddenly, Qu Kangping felt a tremendous energy burst forth from Dark Moon.


    The fallen agents miraculously came back to life, rising from the ground.


    Qu Kangping looked at Dark Moon with astonishment.


    In Dark Moon''s hand was a tarot card, on which was drawn a rising sun, with the English word "The Sun" written below.


    "The gift you gave me was too precious; I couldn''t possibly take such a big advantage, so I sent you a little blessing in return, reviving your subordinates."


    "Thank you so much!"


    "No need for thanks." Dark Moon waved his hand and pointed towards the main entrance, "We can also watch live broadcasts here, you know. I personally am quite a fan of Gu Yi."


    ...


    The Weird World.


    Gu Yi sat in the rest area with his eyes closed.


    (The deduction begins!£©


    (After the coach has finished training everyone, he leaves the room, leaving only the five of you team members.£©


    (You look at everyone.£©


    (You: Do we really have to y a rigged game?£©


    (Mid Laner: He''s got all our dirt in his hands, and he never lets us use our phones orputers during meetings. How can we collect evidence?£©


    (Support: He''s too cunning. We can''t beat him.£©


    (Jungler: Just resign yourself to it, it''s not bad getting money anyway. Isn''t that what we y professionally for?£©


    (Mid Laner: The coach has kidnapped my family, I dare not disobey him. Gu Yi, you know, all of us are in his grip. He has gang backing, and if we dare to resist, we''re dead.£©


    (You close your eyes and take a deep breath.£©


    (This is a team game, even if you try hard on your own, you can''t turn the tide. All the teammates are pessimists, you might change them momentarily with psychological suggestions, but you can''t change them for a lifetime.£©


    (You must give up something.£©


    (Either choose to abandon honor and morality, or y the rigged game.£©


    (Or choose to sacrifice the lives of your family and report the whole team.£©


    (You don''t know how to have the best of both worlds.£©


    (Mid Laner: Gu Yi, what are you hesitating for?£©


    (AD: We absolutely cannot y a rigged game. It''s not just about honor, it''s about our careers. If we get caught, we''ll never have a chance topete again.£©


    (You look at the AD yer, he''s your captain, and the only one who still insists on resisting.£©


    (Support: Captain, don''t get me into trouble.£©


    (AD: We should resist£©


    (Mid Laner: You orphan, you don''t have family, of course, it''s easy for you to say! All of our families have been kidnapped, how can you say that?£©


    (Jungler: Resist? How do we resist? When betting on the side, he used all my ID cards. If they blow this up, it''s not as simple as a ban, we''ll end up in jail for gambling involvement.£©


    (AD: That''s because you''re a gambling addict, to begin with, you were involved in match fixings even before the coach threatened us!£©


    (Jungler: I call you captain to give you some face, and now you''re stepping all over me?)


    (You: Everyone calm down!)


    (You stand up and use a psychological suggestion on the AD. You pull the AD out of the rest area and hide in the toilet.)


    (You: I support you.)


    (AD: Your support alone isn''t enough.)


    (You: The problem now is that we can''tmunicate with the people outside, we can''t prove our innocence. I have a n.)


    (AD: What are you going to do?)


    (You: I¡¯ll find a way to get the message out...)


    (Suddenly, the toilet door is pushed open.)


    (You and the AD shut up at the same time.)


    (The coach looks at you coldly.)


    (Coach: What are you two talking about?)


    (AD: Nothing, just came in to sneak a smoke.)


    (Coach: Gu Yi, I''m telling you. If you dare to y any tricks, I¡¯ll send someone to the hospital to drag your mom out of her bed. If you don''t believe me, you can try and see.)


    (You: Sorry, we really just came in to smoke.)


    (Coach: Hmph,e out quickly, the match is about to start.)


    (You: Yes.)


    (You nod and follow the coach out of the bathroom.)


    (The time you and the AD had tomunicate was too short; you didn''t have time to exin your n. You only managed to tell the AD that you were on the same side.)

 Chapter 138: Compromise (2)

    <h4>Chapter 138: Compromise (2)</h4>


    (The five of you walk onto the arena.)


    (The match begins, and three of your team members are very passive, frequently making baffling moves, drawing a chorus of boos from the audience.)


    (As expected, you lose the first game.)


    (Back in the resting room, the coach is very satisfied.)


    (Coach: Good job. Now, just lose two more matches, and we''ll make a fortune. Midner, some of your moves were too obvious, try to act a little better next time, you don''t want the referees to notice, right?)


    (Mid-Laner: Yes, I''ll be careful next time.)


    (Coach: Take a ten-minute break.)


    (The coach stays in the resting room, not nning to leave.)


    (You can''tmunicate with the AD yer.)


    (AD frowns at you, seemingly ming you.)


    (The break ends, and you go back to the arena.)


    (This time, the loss is even more devastating. The AD yer seems to have given up, bing the most feeding yer on the field.) [1]


    (But you know that the AD isn''t genuinely performing; he''s just trying to use his own strength to drive the team.)


    (You lose the second game.)


    (You notice the opponents giving you strange looks.)


    (You know an opportunity has arisen.)


    (The third match.)


    (After you choose your in-game character, you keep dancing on thene, twitching non-stop with a peculiar rhythm.)


    (The camera focuses on you many times.)


    (The coach pauses the game.)


    (Coach: What exactly are you doing?)


    (You: I''m not doing anything?)


    (Coach: Even if you''re acting, you can''t be so deliberate about it, can you?)


    (You: I got it.)


    (The match resumes, and while making thest moves on minions, you keep hitting ''S'', making jerky movements.)


    (It seems the enemy frontner catches on and starts spamming ''S'' alongside you.)


    (Both yers on the frontne are having a dance-off, making the audience burst intoughter.)


    (In the middle of the dance, your opponent suddenly retreats to their tower.)


    (The opponent requests a timeout.)


    (You notice the opponents huddling around the referee, whispering. You are unsure if the opponent understood your hint.)


    (The match starts again.)


    (The opponents gain a huge advantage.)


    (But they are deliberately stalling the game.)


    (Until 30 minutes into the match, the police arrive at the scene and halt the game.)


    (You are taken off the arena and subjected to an investigation.)


    (You are blocked in the resting room by the coach, and his henchmen block the door, using various means to obstruct the police investigation.)


    (Coach: Who called the police?)


    (No one answers.)


    (Coach: Gu Yi, was it you?)


    (You: I didn''t do anything. I didn''t even touch my phone.)


    (Coach: Was it you, captain?)


    (AD: I''ve already thrown in the towel.)


    (Eventually, the police make it to the resting room.)


    (The coach denies everything, and the other three teammates also refuse to speak.)


    (You and AD exin the entire situation to the police.)


    (The two of you are then taken into police protection.)


    (Your exam time runs out.)


    (The voice of the invigtor rings in your ear.)


    (Invigtor: Clever approach, Rationality: 5 points, Emotionality: 5 points.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, summarizing the deduction process he had just experienced.


    He used the game character''s dance and beats to send an "SOS" signal. At first, the opponent did not understand, but eventually, they grasped his intention.


    Although the coach was alert, he did not understand what he was actually doing.


    This method is feasible, but it doesn''t allow one to score high marks.


    Logically, if one needs to perfectly clear the exam, they must adhere to the spirit of sportsmanship, but it''s impossible to persuade one''s own teammates. Relying only on oneself and AD, how can they win against five opponents plus three traitors?


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You pull AD to the toilet and quickly discuss tactics before the coach arrives.)


    (The first match begins.)


    (You stand on the arena.)


    (You and AD exchange nces, and years of understanding let youprehend each other''s intentions instantly.)


    (The two of you give your all on the arena, despite three teammates dragging you down, yet you find their efforts futile.)


    (The jungler and support make huge mistakes in key team fights, and your team loses narrowly.)


    (This, in turn, makes the three teammates'' acting even more realistic.)


    (When the coach returns to the resting room, he heaps praise on you.)


    (The second match.)


    (You remember all of the opponent''s moves and habits, predict their actions in advance, and sessfully break through ane.)


    (You lead in scores across the board.)


    (The three teammates want to feed, but you always reap the battlefield at the most appropriate times.)


    (You score a win)


    (Back in the resting room, the coach berates you.)


    (Coach: Do you think you''re a hero? Well then, get ready to see your family for thest time.)


    (You try to use your skill on the coach, but it doesn''t work.)


    (The coach''s willpower is far beyond that of ordinary people.)


    (If there''s no way to break through the coach''s mental defenses, then your skills won''t take effect.)


    (The third match begins.)


    (You focus on the game.)


    (AD: It''s bad, your parents have been brought here.)


    (You take your hands off the keyboard and see your parents sitting in the audience. Your mother''s face is pale, squinting and leaning back in her chair; your father looks tense.)


    (Next to your parents stand two of the coach''s thugs.)


    (You pretend not to see them.)


    (Using your ability of psychological suggestion, you concentrate all your attention.)


    (Like thest match, you win the game with your excellent personal skills.)


    (You leave the soundproof booth and look towards the audience, only to find that your parents are no longer there.)


    (You return to the resting room.)


    (The coach lets out a coldugh and picks up a cellphone.)


    (Coach: I keep my promises, your parents have been stuffed into a sack and are about to be thrown into the river. Are you sure you won''t throw the match?)


    (Support: Coach, aren''t you going too far?)


    (Midner: Don''t be like this, coach, we can just lose more in the following games.)


    (AD: You scum!)


    (The coach ps AD across the face.£©


    (Coach: I''m giving you onest chance, are you going to fake the game or not?£©


    (You: I understand.£©


    (In the fourth match, it''s your win.£©


    (You still don''t hold back, just like in the previous two matches.£©


    (Your teammates are scared.£©


    (They turn off the microphones in the arena and all look at you.£©


    (Support: Have you lost your mind? Is a championship more important than your parents'' lives?£©


    (AD: Let it go, we don''t need to be so ruthless.£©


    (Midner: What are you thinking?£©


    (Jungler: The coach will really kill them!£©


    (You: Keep ying! If we don''t win, I could kill you all right now.£©


    (You pull out a pen from your pocket and forcefully stab it through the desk in front of you.£©


    (AD: I request a timeout.£©


    (The match is paused.£©


    (Your four teammates drag you to the resting room.£©


    (The coach blocks the door, watching you with a sneer.£©


    (AD: What the hell are you doing? You''re going to get your parents killed.£©


    (You: The person who''s going to kill my parents isn''t me, it''s him. My job is to win the match, and nobody can stop me.£©

 Chapter 139: Compromise (3)

    <h4>Chapter 139: Compromise (3)</h4>


    (The coach sneered, turned away, and picked up his phone to instruct someone to take action.)


    (You seize the opportunity to steal the phone and call the police.)


    (After making the call, the coach returns, and you quickly put the phone back in its ce.)


    (Coach: You little brat, you won''t shed a tear until you see the coffin, huh? I''ve already instructed my men to act. They''re by the river now, and if you win this game, I''ll immediately throw your parents into the river.)


    (You enter thepetition area without a word.)


    (None of your teammates reports your act of calling the police.)


    (You return to the game.)


    (Midner: Did you call the cops?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Midner: Then I might get caught too. I''m involved in gambling.)


    (Support: Are you going to y seriously?)


    (You: Yes. Just try to dy the game. They will target me for sure.)


    (Jungler: Are you sure you can handle it?)


    (You: Trust me.)


    (In this match, you are relentlessly targeted by the opponents, feeling immense pressure. You use your skills to constantly give yourself psychological suggestions.)


    (You sessfully prolong the game to fifty minutes.)


    (Finally, the police arrive.)


    (You demolish the enemy''s base.)


    (The police regretfully inform you that they couldn''t save your parents.)


    (The voice of the invigtor echoed in your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Pointless sacrifice, Rationality: 5 points, Emotionality: 5 points.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, his mind a mess.


    Following this path, he couldn''t even secure the baseline score of 12 points. Was this exam pushing him to bow down to evil?


    Gu Yi recalled the exam requirements again. The subject was named "Stress Test."


    Could it be that the requirement of this exam was...


    "Gu Yi, what are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing."


    "Nothing and you''re not getting ready to go to the arena?"


    "Just give me a moment."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes once more.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You discuss with your teammates.)


    (You decide topromise.)


    (You y the fixed match and sessfully receive the prize money prepared by the coach.)


    (The voice of the invigtor resonates in your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Wisepromise, Rationality: 6 points, Emotionality: 6 points.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi was stunned. He went through another deduction in his mind, this time even sessfully saving his parents, inspiring his teammates, and winning the match, but failing to bring the coach to justice.


    <i>Yet, the final score was only ten points!</i>


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>Why?</i>


    <i>Why doespromising directly grant a passing score so easily?</i>


    Gu Yi suddenly remembered the clearance condition written at the beginning of the dungeon, for the normal level, the condition was "pursue death." Could it be that the correct answer for this "Stress Test" was actually "choosing topromise"?


    In the first exam, choosing suicide also led to a high score.


    This exam, from start to finish, seemed to promote the idea of surrendering.


    Gu Yi clenched his fists tightly.


    "I''m really stupid, only realizing now that something is amiss!"


    Unusual clearance conditions.


    Historical records filled with despair.


    Roommate''s remarks about giving up.


    An exam content that propagates surrender.


    All of these were subtly suggesting that giving up resistance would solve all problems.


    "Are we just going topromise like this?"


    "What did you say?"


    His four teammates stopped in their tracks.


    "Ispromising the only path we have?"


    Gu Yi slowly raised his head, his brows furrowed.


    ...


    At the Dark Moon Circus.


    "Move over, make some room for me."


    "Go away."


    "I don''t want to sit next to that Pikachu, it''s always so staticky."


    The agents were sitting in front of arge screen watching the live broadcast, but Gu Yi''s family members were still lying in the Scranton Stabilization Anchor at Dark Moon Circus.


    Despite the uncertainty of the dungeon''s host possibly having more tricks up their sleeve, the leader of Dark Moon Circus still advised Qu Kangping to keep his family in the stabilization anchor for safety.


    With not much else to do in the Dark Moon Circus, the agents were left to watch the livestreams of the weird world.


    At that moment, Gu Yi was lost in thought in the resting room. The agents, seeking more action, switched channels to watch Chris''s broadcast.


    After hearing a load of nonsense from his coach, Chris hid in the toilet and released all twenty of his evil spirits.


    However, the spirits, upon approaching the coach, cowered in fear, not daring to get close to him.


    The barrage was engaged in a heated discussion:


    "What''s going on?"


    "That coach is a big thug with the blood of many on his hands, even spirits fear the wicked."


    "Haha, looks like Chris''s abilities don¡¯t work on the coach."


    Chris, not expecting this oue, lingered in the toilet before resolutely returning to thepetition arena.


    With the spirits ineffective against the coach, he used them on his teammates instead.


    He created illusions and intimidated each teammate who was thinking of surrendering, forcing them to y seriously.


    Surprisingly, his teammates, driven by fear, actually won the first game.


    Back in the resting room, the coachshed out at everyone.


    "You little brats, what are you trying to do? Can''t you even throw a match properly? I want you to lose 0:3, got it?"


    Chris, nonchntly pointing at the team captain AD, said, "It was this guy who said we should y seriously."


    Faced with Chris''s me-shifting, the captain epted the responsibility, as he had indeed been the one insisting on ying genuinely.


    The coach, sneering at the captain, threatened: "You''re stubborn, huh? Believe it or not, I can have your family killed right now."


    "You wouldn''t dare!"


    The captain stood up and punched the coach in the nose.


    Everyone around was stunned.


    The coach wiped his nosebleed and with a swift kick and several punches, knocked the team captain down.


    "You little punk, do you know who''s the boss around here?"


    "Coach, let it be."


    Chris quickly stood up, feigning concern, "Don''t hit the captain anymore. We don''t have any substitutes!"


    "Hmph!"


    The coach snorted coldly and left the locker room.


    AD struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    "You can''t beat him."


    "I know, don''t need you to tell me." AD nced at Chris, torn between gratitude and anger.


    "Maybe we should just throw the matches? Our families are still in his hands."


    "Fine, I get it."


    In the following matches, Chris indeed threw the games as the coach had ordered.


    Qu Kangping, puffing on a cigarette, said gleefully, "The wicked indeed grind the wicked. He used to be so arrogant in other exams, but here, even he has to bow his head."


    "Team leader, this exam seems quite unusual."


    "Indeed. I''ve seen the footage of other adventurer''spletions. They all chose topromise, and no one sessfully resisted.


    Even those who chose a ''die with honor'' approach ended up with only 10 points.


    That coach''sbat prowess is also extraordinary; no adventurer has been able to kill him and escape unscathed."


    "I''m not surprised by that at all," Qu Kangping said. "This dungeon constantly promotes suicide, giving up,promise, and despair. Humanity can never triumph over the weird world. The rules of the exam are set by them; how can we expect them to adhere to our earthly moral standards?"


    The group continued to watch as Chris yed the role of apliant yer until the end of the second match. Then, he suddenly started to make some subtle moves.


    When the coach went to the toilet, Chris followed closely behind. He released two spirits to block the door, creating illusions that made it seem as if the toilet was closed.


    Pulling out his belt, Chris stood behind the coach with a cold smirk.

 Chapter 140: Compromise (4)

    <h4>Chapter 140: Compromise (4)</h4>


    Chris sneered and walked behind the coach, wrapping a belt around the coach''s neck.


    The coach struggled desperately, reaching out to grab at Chris''s head.


    Chris wrapped the belt around his hands twice and, with his back to the coach, pulled forcefully. The coach''s legs iled helplessly, unable to even cry out for help. He tried to tear at the belt with his hands, but it was futile.


    "Ugh¡ª"


    The coach''s struggles became weaker and weaker.


    Chris continued to strangle the coach from behind for a while, until he was certain the coach was dead, and then he dropped the body.


    Qu Kangping''s eyes widened, and he said slowly:


    "How clever...


    First, he used evil spirits to block the toilet door, preventing outsiders from entering, and giving himself enough space tomit the crime. His use of his talents far exceeds that of ordinary people.


    Killing with a belt won''t cause much bloodshed, making the scene easier to manage.


    Previously, there was a conflict between the team captain and the coach. If the police were to investigate, the captain would certainly be the first suspect. Chris has enough time to dy until the end of the exam.


    He truly is a... born criminal."


    Chris re-fastened the belt around his waist, nning to dispose of it at a right moment. He then hid the coach''s body in a toilet stall and threw the coach''s phone into the toilet.


    Finally, he left an evil spirit guarding the stall door, using illusions to scare away ordinary people and dy the discovery of the body.


    Back at thepetition arena, the coach never showed up.


    The host inquired about the situation, but everyone was unclear.


    When the time for the match arrived, the host decided to start the game without waiting for the coach.


    Chris sat in his seat, his expression giving nothing away. However, his performance this time was very serious, and his ying style was more ruthless.


    His teammates were shocked.


    "Hey? Didn''t you say..."


    "Sorry, it was a reflex. I''ll go easier next time."


    Chris grinned mischievously, but then quickly scored a double kill.


    Seeing this, the captain couldn''t help but join Chris''s efforts, ying the game seriously.


    Chris''s team won another point in this match.


    Back in the locker room, the team members still couldn''t see the coach, and his subordinates began to worry, unable to find him.


    Chris seized the opportunity to lead everyone to find the phone and call the police for help.


    After the police arrived, thepetition was temporarily halted.


    The team members sessfully freed themselves from the coach''s control, and the police eventually found the coach''s body in the toilet.


    Chris looked at the fountain pen in his hand, all the ink was used up.


    "It''s over, the exam is about to end..."


    Chris returned to the examination room, hearing the voice of the invigtor.


    "A nearly perfect crime, Rationality: 7 points, Emotionality: 7 points."


    "14 points? Hmm... I thought it would be higher. Is it because I didn''t win the match at the end?"


    After pondering for a while, Chris decided to stop thinking ¡ª if he couldn''t understand something, then he wouldn''t think about it.


    ...


    Qu Kangping stopped watching the live broadcast and turned his attention to other spectators of the Dark Moon Circus.


    "Hello," Qu Kangping approached a muscr man wearing a blue hat, "My name is Qu Kangping. What''s your name?"


    "I''m Ash from Pallet Town," Ash nodded, pointing to hispanion Pikachu, "This is my partner, Pikachu."


    "I''m SpongeBob!"


    "And I''m Patrick!"


    Qu Kangping didn''t initiate the conversation, but SpongeBob and Patrick, each holding a balloon and carrying a fish tank, came over to greet him.


    "Uh... hello, are you all from a weird world?"


    "No, we''re from Bikini Bottom."


    "I just said, I''m from Pallet Town," Ash said, "About twenty years ago, our world faced an apocalyptic disaster, and Uncle Dark Moon let us stay here."


    "Pika pika..."


    Hearing this, the usually cheerful SpongeBob and Patrick''s faces fell, and they stopped frolicking.


    "What were your worlds like?"


    "In our world, there are magical creatures called Pok¨¦mon..."


    Ash sat on a chair, telling the story of his original world, many details of which matched the history shared by Gu Yi.


    Qu Kangping couldn''t help but clench his fists.


    This dungeon wasn''t just a reflection of Earth, but of countless parallel worlds.


    "That brother named Gu Yi, he''s from your world, right?"


    "Yes."


    "He''s very impressive," Ash said with a smile. "But his talent isn''t in his abilities or technique, but rather in his ability to maintain his beliefs under pressure."


    ...


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You step onto thepetition arena.)


    (Using your previous experiences and handling all the pressure, you win the match in just fifteen minutes.)


    (You return to the resting room.)


    (The coach is furious.)


    (At this moment, the coach receives a message from another club willing to pay a high price for you.)


    (The coach is tempted.)


    (You seize the opportunity and convince the coach, promising that your value could increase tenfold overnight.)


    (The coach agrees.)


    (You perform excellently in the match and your value skyrockets.)


    (However, the coach goes back on his word, beats you up, and imprisons you, demanding that you continue to work for his team.)


    (Your exam time is up.)


    (The voice of the invigtores to your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Making a deal with a tiger, Rationality: 6 points, Emotionality: 6 points.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    ...


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You step onto the arena.)


    (During the introduction of the yers, you rush up, snatch the microphone, and use the coach.)


    (Your teammates try to stop you but can''t.)


    (The audience is in an uproar.)


    (The host immediately stops the match.)


    (You are dragged off the arena.)


    (The coach beats you until you''re bruised and swollen, and your four teammates are also confined with you.)


    (The public opinion is in chaos, but the coach quickly suppresses it with his money and influence.)


    (You are falsely used of being a gambler and a liar.)


    (Your mother,cking the funds for surgery, passes away.)


    (The coaches to where you are confined and throws all five of you into the sea.)


    (You drown.)


    (The voice of the invigtor reaches your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Reckless action, Rationality: 3 points, Emotionality: 4 points.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    ...


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You cooperate with your teammates to y a rigged game.)


    (You go to the resting room to negotiate with the coach.)


    (The coach dismisses a telemarketer bothering him, then distributes the promised bonuses ording to the previous agreement.)


    (Coach: That''s right, as long as you stick with me, there''s always something to gain.)


    (You receive the money from the coach but don''t spend it immediately.)


    (You expose the transaction evidence online.)


    (The online reaction is mixed, but overall it''s unfavorable to you.)


    (You decide to jump from a building to prove your innocence.)


    (You start a live broadcast, but it gets shut down in less than ten minutes.)


    (You realize the coach got wind of this and targeted you in advance.)


    (Before jumping, you post on various tforms and finally gain some online traffic.)


    (You then jump from the building.)


    (You are fortunate to survive the fall, but you end up paralyzed from the waist down.)


    (The public finally believes you, but your mother still passes away from her illness, and the coach, sensing danger, flees the country early.)


    (You fail to capture the main culprit, don''t win the match, and are unable to save your mother.)


    (Your exam timees to an end.)


    (The voice of the invigtor reaches your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Pointless sacrifice, Rationality: 7 points, Emotionality: 7 points.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)

 Chapter 141: Compromise (5)

    <h4>Chapter 141: Compromise (5)</h4>


    Gu Yi sat silently in the resting room, lost in thought.


    He had justpleted hisst deduction, having tried numerous times but never achieving a perfect oue.


    If he alerted the authorities, he might save his parents, but then, he wouldn''t be able to win the game.


    If he convinced his teammates to y seriously, his parents would still be harmed by the coach.


    No matter which path he took, he couldn''t score more than 14 points, and the process wasn''t as smooth aspromising, which could at least ensure a passing score.


    His only gain from these deductions was aplete understanding of the opponent''s tactics and improving his own skills.


    What a pity...


    If only his skill ''psychological suggestion'' was stronger, he could have changed the coach''s intentions or convinced his teammates to follow him, making the exam much easier.


    I''m always just a little short of things to win...


    "What''s wrong?"


    AD came over and sat beside Gu Yi. He nced at the door, noticing the coach still on the phone, his eyes vigntly on the two of them.


    Gu Yi was silent for a moment before speaking. "Captain, I have a question."


    "Go ahead."


    "Is there really no way to get the best of both worlds? Do we always have to give up something?"


    "Well¡­¡­"


    The whole team looked at Gu Yi, and even the coach couldn''t help but turn back to nce at them.


    "Hmph, bullshit."


    The coach scoffed, leaving the resting room and mming the door shut.


    Gu Yi looked deeply at his teammates, his face somber.


    The whole team dared not look directly into those eyes ¡ª he was barely twenty years old, yet his gaze seemed as profound as if he had experienced several lifetimes.


    The captain sat silently for a moment. "Even you want to give up? Are you going to y a rigged game like the rest of them?"


    "What do you think is the happiest moment when ying a game?" Gu Yi asked.


    The midner scoffed, "Happy? Not getting high blood pressure while ying is good enough, what''s there to be happy about?"


    "Gu Yi, we understand how you feel," the support said. "Everyone knows we can''t beat the coach. He''s a notorious underworld boss. If we really stand up to him, none of us can leave this stadium alive."


    The jungler nodded, adding, "Exactly, even if we leave the stadium alive, can you guarantee he won''t harm our families? We''re just his ythings and tools;promise is our only option."


    Gu Yi ignored them, continuing on his own,


    "I don''t know what you all think, but I believe the greatest charm of a game lies in turning the tide against the odds.


    When I first started ying this game, I encountered a match where two of our yers disconnected.


    The remaining two on our team didn''t want to y anymore, but I kept going. I chose Juggernaut as my hero and desperately looked for opportunities to farm and gear up. In the end, when I got my full gear, I managed a 1v3 turnaround kill against the yers who tried to gank me.


    Inspired by me, my teammates picked up their keyboards and yed seriously. After 40 minutes, we won a crucial team fight with a 2v5 exchange, and I led the minions to charge at the enemy''s base.


    When I saw their crystal explode, I was as exhrated as if I''d reached a climax.


    Turning the game around against the wind, it''s fucking more thrilling than sex!"


    Gu Yi turned and left the resting room, sneakily ncing at his four teammates with the corner of his eye.


    They were all silently introspective, unsure of what to say.


    Gu Yi had tried many times, using threats and temptations, appealing to emotion and reason, but his teammates would always falter at critical moments, rarely supporting him.


    Honestly, dealing with the coach wasn''t that hard.


    The real challenge was getting his teammates on his side, igniting their fighting spirit, and making them join him in opposing the coach.


    Gu Yi returned to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, letting his mind wander nkly.


    This time, he wasn''t concerned about scoring. He wanted toplete the challenge following his own thoughts and heart, regardless of whether he scored high or even passed.


    The exam was named "Stress Test."


    So, could the pressure of scoring also be a part of the exam?


    Footsteps approached from outside, and the coach burst into the bathroom, yanking open the stall door where Gu Yi was.


    "What the hell are you doing here?"


    "Taking a dump."


    "Right before a match?"


    "Hey, I''m just nervous."


    "Hmph, nervous for what?"


    Gu Yi chuckled naively, slowly wiping and pulling up his pants.


    On the arena, the yers were in position.


    Other yers were pretentiously discussing their strategies, but Gu Yi waszily staring at the back of his chair, lost in thought looking at theputer screen.


    The coach walked up behind Gu Yi and patted him on the shoulder lightly. "Kid, what trick are you pulling?"


    "Like I said, I''m just nervous."


    "In a bit, I''ll bring your parents here, that''ll calm your nerves."


    "Hehe, coach, you''re so considerate."


    Gu Yi turned to look back, shing a genial smile.


    The coach paused, taken aback.


    He had an unsettling feeling as if he were being watched by a venomous snake.


    Seeing the coach silent, all the other teammates were anxious, fearing Gu Yi might do something drastic. Surprisingly, Gu Yi sat up straight, earnestly adjusting his mouse settings, seemingly unfazed by everything around him.


    "Ban/Pick phase [1] is over, please coaches leave the soundproof booth."


    The coach red fiercely at the five of them and left the booth.


    As the game loaded, AD, unable to contain his curiosity, covered his microphone and looked at Gu Yi, "Bro, what are you really nning?"


    "Nothing special."


    "I feel something''s off with you."


    "Just make sure not to do anything foolish, okay?"


    "I don''t care what you all think, I just want to act in my own way."


    The match officially began.


    Just as thening phase started, Gu Yi''sne reported a win, securing the first kill.


    All four teammates stared at Gu Yi in astonishment, AD nearly dropped his mouse in shock ¡ª because Gu Yi had just killed the world-renowned strongest topner.


    The coach, sitting in the audience, had just taken a bite of a hot dog and promptly spit it out.


    Gu Yi''s gamey and positioning were legendary, something not even seen during serious training sessions. He yed like a prophet, always predicting opponents'' skills and movements, with god-level execution and counter.


    "Damn it..."


    After leaving the backstage, the coach hurried to the bathroom to make a phone call.


    "Bring Gu Yi''s parents here immediately... Don''t worry if she''s sick or not, just bring her here!"


    The coach, having arranged everything, rushed back to the venue.


    As soon as he arrived backstage, he was greeted by a wave of cheering from outside. He had an ominous feeling and quickly peered out from behind the door.


    There was a burst of cheers from the audience.


    In the game, a "penta-kill" was announced, with Gu Yi''s topne character executing a "penta-kill", taking out five enemies alone, while the remaining teammates were seemingly just wandering in the jungle area.


    The opposing team of five went AFK, [2] watching as Gu Yi single-handedly demolished their base.


    At this point in the game, only 20 minutes had passed, and the kill score was 18 to 3, with Gu Yi alone ounting for 17 of those kills.


    Such a feat would typically be seen only when a top-tier yer battles against lower-level opponents.


    Yet, this was happening on the stage of a world championship!


    When did Gu Yi gain such formidable skills?


    Was the match really over just in the time it took to use the toilet and make a phone call?

 Chapter 142: Compromise (6)

    <h4>Chapter 142: Compromise (6)</h4>


    "Damn it, what the hell is this otherwordly plot?"


    The coach, putting down his phone, cursed under his breath.


    After the match, the team lined up to enter the resting room.


    The four teammates, including the captain, looked at Gu Yi strangely, as if they were seeing him for the first time.


    The coach was already waiting in the resting room. He nced at Gu Yi and sneered, "How does it feel? The inte is calling you a ''E-God'' now, what''s it like to be ''one god carrying four tails''?"


    Gu Yi nonchntly sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest.


    Frustrated, the coach took off his shoe and threw it at Gu Yi.


    "Left!"


    Gu Yi tilted his head slightly, and the shoe indeed flew past his left ear.


    The coach paused for a moment, then picked up his other shoe and threw it.


    "Middle!"


    Gu Yi ducked his head, dodging the coach''s shoe once again.


    "Your next line is¡ª''You little bastard, let''s see if you can pull off a godlike performance in the next round!''"


    "You little bastard, let''s see if you can pull off a godlike performance in the next round!"


    The coach, pointing at Gu Yi, was visibly shaken.


    Everyone looked between Gu Yi and the coach, not knowing what to say.


    Gu Yi stood up from the sofa, picked up a banana, and started eating it with relish.


    The coach approached Gu Yi, "I''ve already brought your..."


    Gu Yi interjected, "I know you''ve brought my parents here, and I know you can easily kill my whole family without facing any consequences. I know all that, you don''t need to repeat it."


    The coach''s expression turned grave. He stood up straight, speaking coldly.


    "Brat, what are you trying to say?"


    Gu Yi didn''t answer directly but raised three fingers and began a countdown. "Three... two... one."


    <i>Beep, beep, beep¡ª</i>


    Just as Gu Yi finished speaking, the coach''s phone suddenly rang.


    "Take a look. If I''m not mistaken, it should be someone offering to buy me into their team, right?"


    The coach, slightly stunned, opened his phone as ifpelled.


    Indeed, there was an offer to sign Gu Yi, with an opening bid of three million.


    "This..."


    "Coach, give me a chance. After tonight, my value could increase twentyfold.


    Even if all four of my teammates are sleepwalking, I can still carry the game one against five.


    How much can you earn from betting on the side? Three or four million at most?


    That money isn''t clean, and you''d still need tounder it.


    But here I am offering you a contract worth sixty million, and it''s all legal, after-tax ie. Which is a loss, and which is a gain, you can decide for yourself?"


    The coach''s demeanor visibly wavered.


    Seizing the moment, Gu Yi used his skill of psychological suggestion on the coach.


    It worked!


    The skill that has never worked before finally came into y this time!


    "Fine, it''s a deal," the coach sneered. "But don''t forget, I still have control over you. ''E-God Gu'', don''t get too cocky. If your value doesn''t increase twentyfold tonight, your whole family will be spending New Year at the bottom of the Pacific."


    "Thank you, coach."


    Gu Yi nodded slightly.


    The coach, with a grimace, turned and left the resting room.


    The teammates gathered around Gu Yi, their eyes filled with awe.


    "You just now, how did you...?"


    "Can you predict the future?"


    "How did you guess the coach''s next words?"


    "How did you know someone was going to buy you?"


    The four teammates, who had risen from inte caf¨¦ teams to the professional level, had faced numerous challenges and were constantly under the coach''s threats and temptations, never really free. They had never heard of renegotiating fees until now.


    Gu Yi was the first in their team to get a contract worth millions.


    "It''s nothing, all within my calctions."


    AD, sitting next to Gu Yi, asked earnestly, "How should we y our next match?"


    "y normally, just like in ranking matches. Choose your best characters; I can handle the rest alone. Let''s go, the match is about to start."


    Gu Yi quickly finished his banana and tossed it into a trash can in the hallway.


    With his repeated deductions, Gu Yi could resolve the battle in just 15 minutes. His ability to foresee and overpower his opponents tactically was unparalleled.


    Now, his teammates followed his lead, and even the coach had been sessfully influenced by him. For the next several minutes, Gu Yi wasn''t worried about the coach''s betrayal and was confident in increasing his value exponentially.


    But Gu Yi''s n went beyond just securing a high value.


    Securing a high contract value was merely a dying tactic. His ultimate goal was to have the coach, the ultimate viin, imprisoned.


    Based on previous deductions, it would take about thirty minutes for the police to arrive after an alert. In the final round, a simple dance signal to the opponents would be enough for them to call the police.


    Remarkably, the sportsmanship of the opponents was far superior to that of the coach.


    In all of Gu Yi''s deductions, the opponents never took advantage of his plight. Every time Gu Yi sought their help, they assisted. The coach might bribe the media and referees, but he could never buy the sportsmanship of the opponents or the professional ethics of the police.


    The opponents and the police were the only factions in this test that Gu Yi could truly trust.


    ¡ªThis was the only viable method Gu Yi had discovered in his multiple deductions!


    Unfortunately, Gu Yi had to use hisst bit of mental energy to employ psychological suggestions. He wasn''t sure if this approach would yield a high score, but he felt it was the best solution he could think of.


    On the battlefield of the game:


    As Gu Yi had predicted, the opponents reserved two ban slots[1] specifically for him. However, Gu Yi chose an unpopr character to y, instantly igniting the audience''s enthusiasm.


    Right from the start, Gu Yi faced a three-person gank from the opponents.


    He was prepared. Under his tower, he boldly faced the three, securing a triple kill.


    "Three against one and still get counter-killed, do you even know how to y?"


    "Feed, keep feeding!"


    The audience roared in cheer, causing the opponents'' morale to implode instantly.


    After respawning and returning to hisne, Gu Yi forced the opposingner to retreat with a singlebo. When the opponents shifted their focus to the bottomne, Gu Yi teleported just in time to assist, directing his jungler to converge, helping his team''s AD carry secure a triple kill.


    Only ten minutes into the game, the kill count was already 6 to 1 in their favor.


    Gu Yi had no intention of dragging out the game. He denied the opponents any chance to farm, directing his team to aggressively dive towers and push the game rapidly. His entire ystyle was as effortless as if he were ying against bots.


    Another record was set.


    15 minutes and 57 seconds.


    The shortest match time in the history of the World Championship, Gu Yi''s team secured the victory with a breathtakingly swift assault.


    The coach''s mouth twitched into a smile as he checked his phone and saw that three more club agents had approached him with offers.


    Five million.


    Seven million.


    Ten million.


    Their bids kept rising, momentarily making the coach forget about his side betting.


    "Could this really work?"

 Chapter 143: Compromise (7)

    <h4>Chapter 143: Compromise (7)</h4>


    The coach''s thoughts gradually calmed down. He realized he could exploit Gu Yi for a lifetime.


    The evidence of Gu Yi''s involvement in fixed matches was firmly in his hands. Selling Gu Yi off in a one-time deal would be like giving away a goose thatys golden eggs to someone else.


    He couldn''t let go of Gu Yi until he hadpletely squeezed out all of his value.


    With this in mind, the coach suddenly felt at ease. He actually hoped that Gu Yi would deliver another godly performance, securing 20 kills in a game, which would undoubtedly solidify his status as a top-tier yer.


    "Boss."


    "What is it?"


    The coach turned around and saw his subordinates bringing Gu Yi''s parents over.


    They appeared timid and fearful, trembling and unable to speak.


    With a sneer, the coach pointed to the audience area and said, "Since they''re here, take good care of them. Make sure they''refortable in the spectator seats. Keep a close eye on them."


    "Understood."


    The third match was the decisive game for Gu Yi''s team.


    Gu Yi was already fully aware of the opponent''s tactics and movements, even remembering the exact timing of theirst hits. This allowed him to make advanced tactical preparations.


    Now, Gu Yi''s teammates were thoroughly ignited with passion, each bringing their utmost focus to the game.


    The camera focused on Gu Yi''s character in the game.


    He was seen dancing on hisne, seemingly taunting the opponent.


    "Hey, why is this topner dancing?"


    "You don''t get it, this is psychological warfare."


    Thementators didn''t understand Gu Yi''s intentions, but the opposing topner did.


    He put down his mouse and nced at Gu Yi across thene.


    Gu Yi, sensing the moment, immediately used his psychological suggestion on the opposing topner.


    "Huh?"


    The opponent loosened his grip on the mouse, and Gu Yi did the same.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Gu Yi is asking us for help."


    "Help?"


    "Haven''t you heard? About Gu Yi''s team being involved in fixed matches."


    "Damn, ying a rigged match and they still beat us this bad? Last game, he beat you so badly you were afraid to leave your tower."


    "That''s why it''s so dangerous!" the topne yer said excitedly. "They must be threatened to y fixed matches, but Gu Yi and his team refuse to throw the game. Instead, they''re ying with all their might."


    "Is that really it?"


    "Gu Yi keeps dancing, it''s an SOS signal, he''s asking for our help."


    "That does seem true..."


    "Let''s pause the match and call the police right away."


    The topner pressed the pause button for the match and ran into the resting room without looking back.


    ...


    After the pause and the match''s resumption, Gu Yi continued to be the main target of the opposing team.


    However, unlikest time, he didn''t choose to drag out the game waiting for the police. He needed to end the match quickly to execute his n.


    His teammates watched him in disbelief.


    His parents were sitting in the audience, with the coach''s henchmen standing right beside them. Under such pressure, anyone would crumble mentally and falter in their gamey.


    Yet, Gu Yi seemed unfazed by the pressure, skillfully taking on multiple opponents and pulling off miraculous narrow escapes and counter-kills.


    Gu Yi nced at the time; the police would arrive in ten more minutes.


    "No time left, push hard."


    "Should we y it safe and take the dragon first?"


    "Trust me," Gu Yi''s eyes shone. "Go straight for it. I can take down four of them. Let''s go!"


    Following Gu Yi''smand, the whole team, as if invigorated, aggressively dove under the enemy''s tower, overpowering their opponents in a daring and forceful attack, looking forward to a one vs four exchange.


    The opponents left their keyboards, watching in shock as Gu Yi''s team rushed the high ground and leveled their base.


    "Another crushing victory in just 20 minutes!"


    "Just like a God descending from the heavens... he''s truly a god among men, this Gu Yi..."


    "Amazing."


    Thementators were so excited they were nearly hoarse. The audience erupted in cheers, with some fans even throwing their shirt onto the stage.


    The teammates stood up, hugging and cheering excitedly.


    Gu Yi''s gaze, however, never left the area below the arena.


    The coach caught up in the fervent atmosphere, nced at his phone.


    He had lost four million in side betting.


    But other clubs were now offering twenty million to buy Gu Yi.


    Seeing this, the coach was even more reluctant to let go of Gu Yi. This brat was like a massive money tree.


    "Damn, I never thought esports could be this profitable. I''ve been so short-sighted."


    Cursing, the coach turned off his phone, ready to join his team on stage for the award ceremony.


    Unbeknownst to the coach, one of his subordinates called him at that moment.


    "Boss, the police are here."


    "What?"


    "We''re trying to dy them as much as possible."


    "No worries, let theme." The coach sneered. "I haven''t done anything wrong, have I?"


    "Understood."


    As the coach left the backstage area to head towards the stage for the award ceremony, he noticed that Gu Yi was not on the stage.


    A sense of foreboding washed over him.


    He hurried to his private resting room and found Gu Yi standing next to hisputer, holding a USB drive.


    "What are you doing?"


    The coach''s hands were behind his back as he coldly stared at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi held up the USB drive with a smile, "This drive records all your criminal activities. Next time you chat online, remember to delete the chat history."


    The coach slowly approached Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi, holding the drive, moved towards the window. "You better note any closer. The police might arrive at any moment."


    "Hmph, you''re clearly bluffing." The coach reached the desk, touching theputer. "Theputer is still cold. You didn''t even turn it on. How did you gather any evidence?"


    "Gathering evidence against you doesn''t require turning on aputer. I forgot to mention, I''m not just an Esports yer, but also a hacker. While you were on the phone with your subordinate, I already collected all the evidence."


    "That''s impossible..."


    The coach''s eyes flickered with uncertainty. He was confident in his security measures, believing it impossible for Gu Yi to easily obtain evidence of his crimes.


    "Don''t be so quick to deny it, coach," Gu Yi said with a smile. "This evidence will be sent to the police in one minute. If you let me and my family go, I''ll destroy this evidence, and I''ll continue to y for your team."


    The coach''s eyes began to ze with anger.


    "You think I''ll believe your lies?"


    Gu Yi casually raised three fingers, "Three... two... one!"


    Just as Gu Yi finished speaking, the coach''s phone rang.


    A chill ran down his spine. Last time, Gu Yi had simrly predicted that he would receive a text message!


    During the matches, Gu Yi always seemed to be one step ahead of his opponents. His almost prophetic actions couldn''t just be exined by "exceptional awareness." It was as if he had some sort of omniscient advantage.


    What was Gu Yi''s deal?


    Was he really that calcting?


    "Aren''t you going to check your phone?"


    The coach instinctively pulled out his phone from his pocket. It disyed a call from an unknown number.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t answer that. It''s probably the police," Gu Yi said with a smile. "You still have time to run."


    "ying tricks¡­"


    The coach, paranoid and hesitant, didn''t dare to answer the call. He pulled out a dagger from behind, ring at Gu Yi with a mix of ferocity and fear.


    Gu Yi smirked, reading panic and shock in the coach''s eyes. He knew this was the perfect moment to use his ability. Counting down to three silently in his mind, he deployed his skill on the coach.


    "Come on, if you dare, kill me."


    Gu Yi ignited the coach''s murderous intent!


    The coach, holding the dagger, charged at Gu Yi.


    "Left!"


    "Right!"


    "Middle!"


    Gu Yi could predict the coach''s every move, further fueling his rage.


    "Die!"


    The coach, gripping the dagger downwards, lunged at Gu Yi''s head.

 Chapter 144: Compromise (8)

    <h4>Chapter 144: Compromise (8)</h4>


    Gu Yi crossed his arms above his head, sessfully blocking the coach''s dagger.


    The coach''s eyes widened as he realized what Gu Yi was actually holding. It wasn''t a USB drive at all, but a silver lighter!


    "Your next line is ¡ª ''You little brat, you were ying me all along!''"


    "You little brat, you were ying me all along!"


    "Heh, so what if I was?" Gu Yi grinned. "Idiot, take a look outside."


    "Huh?"


    The coach looked up, just in time to make eye contact with the police outside the window.


    The police, surprised to see the coach attempting violence right before them, quickly drew their guns, aiming at him.


    "Freeze!"


    <i>Bang, bang!</i>


    The police fired their weapons.


    The coach, already cowering and covering his head, scrambled out of the resting room, rolling and crawling away.


    Gu Yi hurriedly followed, shouting at the coach, "You scoundrel, you won''t get away!"


    "F*ck you!"


    As the coach ran, he grabbed a trash can from the side of the road and hurled it at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi swiftly dodged out of the way.


    Suddenly, the coach slipped, falling hard onto the ground with a loud crash. He cried out in pain as his ankle swelled up.


    "Why?"


    Narrowing his eyes, the coach saw a banana peel near his feet. If he remembered correctly...


    Before the match, Gu Yi had eaten a banana and carelessly thrown the peel into a trash can.


    Trembling, the coach pointed a shaky finger at Gu Yi. "You... you monster, was this also part of your n?"


    "Huh?"


    Gu Yi paused, clearly not understanding what the coach was talking about.


    However, he didn''t miss the chance to further intimidate the coach. "Of course, everything was in my calctions!"


    "Aah!"


    The coach screamed, struggling to his feet and leaning against the wall to escape. Unfortunately, his twisted ankle slowed him down considerably.


    At this moment, the police finally climbed through the window and rushed in. They swarmed over the coach and pinned him to the ground.


    "Don''t move!"


    "Put your hands up!"


    <i>Click!</i>


    During the struggle, the coach''s phone fell out of his pocket.


    <i>Beep, beep, beep¡ª</i>


    The phone started ringing.


    The police nced at the iing call, which didn''t show any saved contact name.


    "Whose call is this?"


    The officer handed the phone to the coach.


    The coach cursed under his breath, recognizing the call as the same unfamiliar number from earlier.


    "I don''t know."


    "Answer it." The officer pulled the coach up from the ground. "Don''t try any tricks, we''re listening."


    "Alright."


    The coach, with a bitter smile, shook his head and answered the phone, following the officer''s instructions.


    "Hello, is this Mr. Zhang?"


    "Yes, it is."


    "I''m calling from PA Insurance. Your car insurance is due for renewal soon..."


    "I''ve already bought insurance!"


    The coach instinctively hung up the phone.


    Two police officers red at the coach.


    "Hey, what''s with that look? It was just a call from an insurance salesperson."


    "You''re suspicious."


    "Very suspicious."


    "That must be some kind of code you''ve arranged with your aplices, right?"


    "Come on, don''t overinterpret it."


    "Come with us!"


    "Damn it!"


    The coach cursed loudly as he was escorted away by the officers, one on each side.


    "Ha-"


    Gu Yi exhaled deeply and sat down against the wall. He pulled out a fountain pen from his pocket, its ink nowpletely used up.


    "Exam time is over!" the invigtor''s voice echoed in his ear. "Was this also in your calctions? Rationality: 7 points, Emotionality: 7 points."


    A total of 14 points.


    No one else was injured besides the coach.


    Gu Yi''s consciousness returned to his body, sitting at his desk, staring at the densely packed answers on his exam paper, deep in thought.


    ...


    At the Dark Moon Circus.


    Gu Yi once again scored high, and all the agents cheered exuberantly, almost lifting the tent roof.


    "Gu Yi is truly remarkable," said Dark Moon with a smile. "He seems to be getting more proficient. While other yers chose topromise, even the defiant Chris bowed under oppression, but Gu Yi still found that sliver of hope."


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect Gu Yi to be so impressive."


    Qu Kangping said this but felt something was amiss in his heart.


    The entire dungeon spoke ofpromise, sacrifice, and the ugliness of human nature. Yet Gu Yi neverpromised, always striving for a perfect oue.


    In the first exam, the oue was death.


    In the second exam, it was a death sentence.


    In the third exam, the result seemed perfect, but the final score was only 14 points, only 2 points higher than thepromise route.


    "I think the reason for not scoring higher is that he didn''t sessfully expose the coach''s crimes."


    "Yeah, and the ending was abrupt. The fate of his parents wasn''t rified. His pen ran out of ink, so he couldn''t continue the exam."


    "Logically, the parents should have had a good oue. The team won the championship, the prize money should be enough for the surgery."


    "The problem is, although the coach was arrested by the police, it was for attempted murder. The evidence of his involvement in organized crime, gambling, extortion, and confinement of yers was something Gu Yi never really obtained. He was only bluffing the coach."


    The agents engaged in a heated discussion, but Qu Kangping shook his head, disagreeing with everyone''s spection.


    "You''re all wrong. The only reason Gu Yi didn''t score higher is that he chose not to die in this exam."


    ...


    The invigtor collected the papers and instructed all students to wait in the waiting room.


    Gu Yi sat at his desk, deep in thought. In one of his deductions, he had chosen tomit suicide to expose the coach''s crimes, ending up with the same 14 points as now.


    What an ironic scoring standard.


    He spected that if he had stuck to the earlier method ¡ª vindicating himself through death and arranging for his family''s safety and collecting evidence against the coach beforehand ¡ª maybe his score would have been 2-4 points higher.


    "So, to score high, to achieve the best of both worlds, I have to die?"


    "That''s right, you''re correct." Chen Zeyu sat next to Gu Yi, smiling at him. "Heard you scored 14 points this time?"


    "Yeah."


    "I got 16 points."


    "How did you do that?"


    "Just like you said, by dying. I found out the coach''spany address, jumped from their building, and left decisive evidence of his crimes before dying, thus scoring higher. Actually, I was entirely inspired by you."


    "Heh, you''re really something."


    "Why did you only score 14 points this time? I thought someone of your caliber would score higher than me."


    Gu Yi merely smiled, not responding.


    Chen Zeyu''s revtion confirmed Gu Yi''s suspicion: the most dangerous aspect of this dungeon was its subtle persuasion towards a twisted logic ¡ª that suicide could solve everything, that only by sacrificing oneself could one achieve the best of both worlds.


    But...


    Gu Yi instinctively felt that this was all a trap. If he followed the dungeon''s implied logic, he was certain he wouldn''t achieve a perfect clearance.

 Chapter 145: The Secret of Section B (1)

    <h4>Chapter 145: The Secret of Section B (1)</h4>


    "Gu Yi!"


    The invigtor called Gu Yi''s name.


    Gu Yi went to the office and received a new dream fragment, and the system''s notification arrived as expected.


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate has increased."</i>


    <i>"The current plot exploration rate is 53%."</i>


    After receiving the reward, Gu Yi returned to the dormitory with his roommates. Hey in bed for a short rest to recover his mental strength.


    At night, the library opened, and most of his roommates left the dormitory. Gu Yi took this opportunity to go to the toilet and prepared a bottle of magic potion.


    With two bottles of magic potion in hand, Gu Yi sessfully reached the top of the dormitory building, retrieved the wine from the wreckage of the spaceship, and safely returned to the dormitory.


    He concealed the wine in his arms, went to the library, found a spot, ced a book on the table as a disguise, and closed his eyes to begin to deduce.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You have arrived at the entrance of Section B.)


    (The Librarian sees you and stretches out his hand to stop you.)


    (You take out the wine from your embrace, and the Librarian''s eyes widen upon seeing the bottle.)


    (Librarian: How do you have this thing?)


    (You: Oh, it''s nothing. I admire you personally, so I bought a bottle of wine...)


    (Librarian: Don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. You just want to get me drunk and then sneak into Section B to steal, right? Dream on, I won''t let you in, get lost!)


    (You are startled and leave dejectedly.)


    (The Librarian quickly walks up and grabs you.)


    (Librarian: You can go, but leave the wine. It''s important evidence of your bribery, I can''t let you take it!)


    (You hand the wine to the Librarian.)


    (You hide in a dark corner, secretly observing.)


    (The Librarian bites open the bottle cap with his mouth and gulps down tworge swigs. His face turns red, and he actually starts snoring against the door.)


    (You approach and hit and kick the Librarian, but he shows no reaction.)


    (After searching the Librarian, you finally find the key to the gate of Section B.)


    (You sessfully open the gate to Section B.)


    (You enter Section B and light your lighter.)


    (The chaotic space before you bes a clear path.)


    (You carefully examine every bookshelf in front of you, all of which contain various scientific and technical theories from bizarre civilizations. You do your best to memorize all the content.)


    (Leaving the area of books, you continue to explore deeper.)


    (This is the collection area, where you see art pieces from various civilizations. These are the witnesses to the existence of extinct civilizations.)


    (You try to move the art pieces, but your strength is far from sufficient.)


    (You continue to explore deeper.)


    (The space ahead bes even more chaotic, and you need to constantly light your lighter to distinguish the direction.)


    (Here is a new batch of books, still historical, but with different focal points. This section primarily details how "Morticians" saved extinct civilizations.)


    (The Morticians, in coboration with the Traveler Star people, ced thest survivors of extinct civilizations on Traveler Star, while the Morticians themselves were responsible for rescuing the ''ashes'' of civilizations¡ªessentially the historical and cultural heritage of these extinct civilizations.)


    (It''s mentioned that the Morticians also once helped these civilizations resist apocalyptic events leading to the end of the world, but ultimately failed, yet they never gave up hope.)


    (You notice an interesting point.)


    (Morticians seldom mention their own history. If they need to refer to themselves in books, they always refer to themselves as "the author".)


    (So far, you still can''t determine the race, origin, or the powers and technologies of the Morticians.)


    (You continue exploring for a while.)


    (You find the tallest bookshelf in Section B.)


    (Using your hands and feet, you climb to the top of the bookshelf. In the middle at the top, you find the fourth handwritten note.)


    (<i>[Neverpromise.]</i>)


    (You peel off the note and discover a hiddenpartment beneath it, from which you retrieve a copper key.)


    (You continue exploring Section B.)


    (After wandering for about half an hour, you finally find a door with a heavy lock hanging on it.)


    (You use the copper key in your hand to unlock the door.)


    (You walk through the door.)


    (Before your eyes, there is nothingness.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then began to write down everything he had seen in Section B.


    To be safe, he applied a psychological suggestion to himself to increase his resistance to mental invasions and then confidently walked towards the gate of Section B.


    ...


    In the Dark Moon Circus.


    Inside the live broadcast.


    Gu Yi was holding a book, sitting there, writing and drawing.


    Seeing this, the agents quickly activated their devices to analyze the text.


    Dark Moon squinted his eyes and said with a smile, "Leader, watching Gu Yi write is really boring. How about we switch to another live broadcast?"


    "Uh..."


    "It''s okay, we can do split-screen broadcasting."


    Dark Moon stood on a stool, tiptoed, and slid his fingers.


    Gu Yi''s screen was ced in the upper right corner, and suddenly dozens of split screens appeared on the big screen.


    At this time, there were only a dozen adventurers left, and their mental states were showing signs of copse.


    Someone had plucked all their hair out.


    Another person broke their own fingers and dipped them in tomato sauce to eat.


    Someone else drowned themselves by pressing their head into the toilet water.


    The only ones still maintaining their sense of self were Gu Yi and Chris.


    Now, Chris was sitting in the library. Unlike Gu Yi, he did not use the dream fragment to make a magic potion but swallowed it like his ssmates.


    "What''s the use of eating this thing?"


    Qu Kangping turned to Dark Moon. Dream fragments were a new appearance in the Weird world, and no one knew their exact use.


    Gu Yi had always used them to make magic potions, so the strategy team had not been able to analyze the specific effects of dream fragments.


    Dark Moon nodded and said with a smile:


    "This is a special resource. Swallowing it raw can enhance spiritual power and void resistance. Gu Yi follows the path of mental strength enhancement, so eating this wouldn''t have much effect on him.


    Chris, on the other hand, is on the path of spiritual power enhancement, which is why he chose to swallow the dream fragment raw."


    "I see."


    Chris shivered in his chair as if he had sessfully digested the dream fragment. Then he walked straight to the gate of Section and with a wave of his hand, summoned 20 evil spirits.


    The Librarian turned his head, his face filled with terror as he looked at Chris.


    "Surprise!"


    Chrisughed heartily three times, and the 20 evil spirits surged forward.


    Frightened out of his wits, the Librarian kicked open the gate of Section B and hid inside.


    Chris closed his eyes, manipting the evil spirits to chase and hunt down the Librarian.


    The Librarian was incredibly fast in escaping, but he was no match for the evil spirit servants. Other than fleeing, he had no means of counterattack.

 Chapter 146: The Secret of Section B (2)

    <h4>Chapter 146: The Secret of Section B (2)</h4>


    "Chris''s evil spirits initially could only harm ordinary people, but now they can even harm slightly stronger NPCs."


    "The Librarian''s strength isn''t really that strong. An S-rank power talent would be enough to deal with him."


    "But he sure can run¡­"


    Amidst the audience''sments in the live chat, Chris entered the chaotic space of Section B.


    He casually picked up a book, flipped through it briefly, and then lost interest.


    "It''s all just headache-inducing text. Without that broken dictionary, I can''t understand any of it."


    Chris,cking Gu Yi''s powerful mental strength, couldn''t smoothly decipher the text, even with a dictionary.


    He took out a map and, without any item guidance, sessfully found the tallest bookshelf.


    Chris climbed to the top of the bookshelf using his hands and feet, nced at the handwritten note, tore it to shreds, and threw it away, then took the hidden copper key.


    "Alright!"


    Chris jumped down from the bookshelf and sessfully found the hidden door in Section B. He inserted the key into the lock but suddenly felt a chill.


    An inexplicable fear prevented him from turning the key.


    "Gulp¡ª"


    Chris swallowed hard and closed his eyes to activate his spirit vision.


    The tall stone door in front of him was emitting a blood-red glow. He screamed and quickly dropped the key.


    <i>¡ªRed, represents a danger that could easily kill him.</i>


    "Damn it, so much red? I''m outta here!"


    Chris ran as fast as he could.


    The audience was puzzled, with "?" filling the screen.


    "Leader, why did that kid run?"


    "It must be his inspiration alerting him," Qu Kangping said. "There seems to be something formidable behind that door."


    ...


    "Zzzz¡ª"


    The Librarian was leaning against the wall, snoring loudly, with the half-empty bottle of wine at his feet.


    "He''s really unskilled but a fun-loving person, getting drunk after just a few sips."


    Gu Yi squatted beside the Librarian, took the key to the gate of Section B from his embrace, and confidently walked into Section B.


    With the help of his lighter, Gu Yi quickly found the tallest bookshelf. Climbing to the top, he found the handwritten note and the copper key hidden in the secretpartment.


    Gu Yi jumped down from the bookshelf, rolled on the ground three times, and then looked up to find himself in front of the massive stone door.


    <i>Click¡ª</i>


    The key was inserted into the lock and gently turned.


    As the lock opened, Gu Yi barely touched the stone door, and it automatically opened to both sides.


    Blinding white light made it impossible for Gu Yi to keep his eyes open.


    "Ugh¡ª"


    Gu Yi shielded his eyes with his hands, and his mind was flooded with chaotic murmurs. He quickly used a psychological suggestion on himself and, relying on his firm will, resisted the wave of mental attacks.


    Numerous ck ghostly hands flew towards Gu Yi. His eyes were red, and he bit his lip forcefully to maintain consciousness.


    "Get away!"


    Gu Yi kept retreating, but the stone door in front of him automatically flew towards him, sucking him into the endless white light.


    Light and darkness alternated rapidly, and the ck hands instantly coiled around Gu Yi''s entire body.


    The ck hands fed on Gu Yi''s mental strength, rapidly depleting half of it in just a short time.


    <i>Snap!</i>


    Gu Yi lit his lighter.


    Behind the stone door was another chaotic space. He quickly found a path with the fewest ck hands and ran desperately through it.


    He kept rolling on the ground, shaking off the ghostly hands clinging to him. By the time he finally reached his destination, his clothes were torn and tattered, and his mental strength was drained to a mere single digit.


    "Get away!"


    Gu Yi plucked thest ck hand from his shoulder, threw it to the ground, and crushed it t.


    "Roar¡ª"


    From the darkness behind him, numerous terrifying roars echoed.


    Although there was light in front of him, Gu Yi couldn''t make out the path ahead.


    The lighter flickered weakly until it suddenly went out.


    Suddenly engulfed in darkness, a shrill whistling sound assaulted Gu Yi''s ears. Instinctively, he ran frantically back the way he hade.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A huge bookshelf abruptly fell behind Gu Yi, and once again, the light returned.


    Gu Yi ran around the bookshelf for about ten minutes. Each book on the shelf weighed around twenty kilograms, and it took him considerable effort to pull out just one book to examine.


    The book waspletely nk, with nothing on it.


    "Strange..."


    Gu Yi wanted to sit and recover some of his mental strength, but he heard the ck ghostly hands outside starting to stir again.


    He had no time to waste; he had to discover the secret of this bookshelf.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes to think. During his frantic run around the bookshelf, he remembered there were three spots where books were missing, and those obvious gaps were clearly the key to solving the puzzle.


    His sess in reaching this ce relied entirely on the guidance of handwritten notes. Every time he found a crucial clue, he would also find a handwritten note.


    Gu Yi made a bold assumption.


    The Morticians represented resistance, freedom, and emotionality, while the school represented surrender, death, and rationality.


    Clearly, this forbidden area was also under the scope of influence of the Morticians.


    "So... out of these four notes, only three should be ced in those gaps."


    The first note was the most special, hidden in a pen case, and the easiest to find. The remaining three required some effort to obtain.


    So, he should ce those three notes in the gaps.


    "But what should be the order of cement? Right, it must be in alphabetical order!"


    Gu Yi had an epiphany.


    This was a library, after all, where books are traditionally organized in alphabetical order.


    Gu Yi quickly took out the three notes and ced them in the gaps in alphabetical order.


    After cing the first note, it immediately emitted a golden light and transformed into a thick book, confirming that Gu Yi''s reasoning was correct.


    The ck hands around him started to stir again.


    They finally located Gu Yi and surged towards him.


    A bead of cold sweat trickled down Gu Yi''s forehead as he ced thest handwritten note into the gap.


    "It''s over!"


    Gu Yi shouted excitedly.


    Time and space around him seemed to freeze, and the ck hands that were howling towards him instantly vanished.


    <i>Rumble!</i>


    The bookshelf beneath him began to shake violently. Gu Yi quickly ran to the edge to escape, and the bookshelf stood up on its own. He shouted in surprise, sliding down the inclined bookshelf to the ground like a slide.


    "Damn... my butt is almost worn t."


    Gu Yi rubbed his sore bottom, then turned to look at the massive bookshelf.


    Gradually, he noticed something unusual. As he stepped back, he observed the huge bookshelf in front of him.


    It turned out that all the spines of the books on the shelf when connected together, formed a gigantic pattern that looked like some kind of mysterious magic circle. At the very bottom of the bookshelf was a string of an aliennguage text.


    <i>[Continue forward, brave adventurer.]</i>


    Gu Yi nced down and noticed that a small door, just tall enough for a person, had appeared at the bottom of the bookshelf.

 Chapter 147: The Secret of Section B (3)

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Secret of Section B (3)</h4>


    Gu Yi jogged to the door and turned the doorknob.


    Before him was a small room, about three meters square, with a ss showcase in the center containing a dark, opaque sphere.


    Gu Yi touched the ss case.


    The ss instantly shattered.


    "What is this thing?"


    Gu Yi reached out and touched the ck sphere. Suddenly, his mind went nk, as if he had entered a deep meditative state.


    When he regained his thoughts, he found himself in the toilet of his dormitory.


    "What''s going on? I remember I... seemed to have picked up something in Section B?"


    Gu Yi furrowed his brows and looked at his right hand. A circle of ck runes appeared in his palm, identical in design to the mysterious magic circle on the bookshelf.


    However, when Gu Yi focused his consciousness on his palm, the runes immediately disappeared.


    "What the hell is this?"


    Gu Yi remained deeply puzzled.


    After all the effort and risk to his life, he hadn''t acquired any plot-rted item, only a mysterious tattoo that appeared without exnation, and he had no idea how to use it.


    This left Gu Yi feeling powerless, as if he had thrown a punch into cotton.


    Exhausted, he leaned against the wall to return to his dormitory and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.


    ...


    "What just happened?"


    "Why did the live broadcast suddenly go ck?"


    "Eh? How did Gu Yi end up back in the dorm sleeping?"


    "Did we miss something?"


    The audience was clearly confused, discussing in the barrage.


    Just like Chris, Gu Yi had arrived at the huge stone door of Section B and resolutely walked through it. However, as soon as he stepped through the door, the live broadcast screen went ck.


    The ckout didn''tst long, only about two or three minutes.


    When the live broadcast resumed, Gu Yi was already asleep in his dormitory bed.


    Qu Kangping was full of questions, "What happened? Instant teleportation?"


    Dark Moon didn''t respond. He nced at his watch, yawned, and said, "Time''s up, we should go to sleep."


    "Huh?"


    Qu Kangping turned to look at Dark Moon, only to find him standing and sleeping like a horse, his snores growing louder and louder.


    The other audience members of the Dark Moon Circus also retreated to their respective tents, leaving no one loitering outside. A few clowns gathered behind Qu Kangping and the others and made a gesture of invitation.


    The Dark Moon Circus had many weird rules, and the strategy team dared not vite them, especially since they relied on the power of the circus leader Dark Moon to avoid being hunted.


    They left the screening hall in line and returned to their base.


    ...


    In the Weird world.


    The next day.


    Gu Yi woke up from his bed, and upon opening his eyes, he was greeted with a barrage of abusive messages.


    In the past few days, such messages had gradually decreased to the point where Gu Yi could almost ignore them. To his surprise, he woke up today to see so many distastefulments.


    "Is there some trouble in the real world?"


    Gu Yi frowned but soon decided not to worry too much about it.


    He had no reach in the real world and couldn''t do anything about it. His only focus now was to find a way to safelyplete the dungeon.


    After washing up, refilling his fountain pen, and having breakfast, Gu Yi was the first to wait silently on the first floor of the dormitory.


    He leaned against the vending machine, staring nkly at the palm of his right hand.


    The thing from yesterday must have a special function; he just hadn''t figured out how to use it yet.


    What puzzled Gu Yi even more was the fact that the ck sphere hidden so deeply in Section B and was so difficult to obtain, didn''t trigger any system notification at all.


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Chen Zeyu stood beside Gu Yi, his face indifferent. "Still feeling guilty for abandoning your family?"


    "It''s none of your business."


    "The first three subjects were just warm-ups. Thest two are the hardest subjects at Wapeng High School. Don''t get eliminated now, especially since you''re the only one here I can somewhat rte to."


    "Rte to? Hmph¡­" Gu Yi sneered coldly, "I really don''t want to have any connection with you."


    <i>Ding-ding-ding¡ª</i>


    The dormitory supervisor appeared again in front of everyone, pulling out a register and reading off twenty names.


    "Those who I just called, step forward."


    The twenty people whose names were called stepped forward with grim expressions, including the tall and strong Gao brothers.


    "You twenty are currently at the bottom of the exam scores. You will be leaving Wapeng Middle School without graduating. You may now go to the academic affairs office to receive your academic certificates."


    The twenty students exchanged looks, but instead of being upset, they happily ran out.


    For them, anything was better than being expelled, even leaving school without graduating was a good deal.


    The dormitory supervisor looked at the remaining students and continued, "In the next two days, we''ll have thest two subjects of our exam. Everyone still standing here has done remarkably well. Now, follow the usual procedure, one by one."


    Chen Zeyu nced at Gu Yi and was the first to approach the supervisor, "I choose to give up my mother."


    "Good, go on in."


    Chen Zeyu nodded and headed toward the examination room.


    Whether you stick your neck out or not, the result is the same.


    Gu Yi, steeling himself, was the second to walk up to the dormitory supervisor.


    "Who do you choose to give up?"


    "My... my mother."


    "Ah... a wise choice," said the dormitory supervisor coldly. "Your mother would be proud of you."


    Gu Yi bit his lip, using psychological suggestion on himself to try and calm his emotions, but no matter how hard he tried, tears still flowed.


    "Team leader... Brother Ah Jian, I can only rely on you now."


    ...


    The Lighthouse Country was in chaos.


    Just after the former strategy team leader Anderson turned to stone, a wave of armed protests demanding freedom of speech and the end ofment censorship erupted within the country.


    The government was in disarray, and even the usually calm president turned pale overnight.


    "Ah... how is Anderson doing?"


    "He''s been dered dead," said the new team leader, Roger. "Mr. President, I suggest you take refuge in our base. Professor Scranton believes that you might be the next target Chris gives up."


    "F*ck!"


    Cursing loudly, the president threw down his pen and followed Team Leader Roger to the base. Hey in the stabilizing anchor that looked like a coffin and fell into a deep sleep.


    The strategy team members closely watched the screen. Chris was now standing in front of the dormitory supervisor.


    "Child, it''s your turn now. Who do you want to give up?"


    "The President of the Lighthouse Country."


    "Hmm... you don''t have any direct rtion to him."


    "Ah, but in a way, he''s my savior.


    If it weren''t for his signing of the amendment order, my drunk driving manughter case might not have been just ten or twenty years. I might have faced a hundred years in prison.


    So, I must thank him."


    "Well, there seems to be some connection there. You can go."


    Chris turned and walked towards the academic building.


    In the Lighthouse Country''s strategy team base, a series of weird events suddenly unfolded. Countless weird creatures materialized out of thin air andunched ferocious attacks on them.


    Meanwhile, the presidenty sleeping in the Scranton Stabilizer,pletely unaware of the dangers unfolding outside.

 Chapter 148: Your Own Freedom (1)

    <h4>Chapter 148: Your Own Freedom (1)</h4>


    At the Dark Moon Circus.


    Early in the morning, all the residents of the circus gathered around the live broadcast screen. Dark Moon had given all the staff a day off to enjoy Gu Yi''s thrilling performance together.


    When Gu Yi announced his decision to give up his mother, the purple moon in the sky trembled.


    Qu Kangping quickly stood up from his seat, looking anxiously in the direction of the base.


    "Leader, don''t worry. As long as I''m here, the sky won''t fall."


    Dark Moon, carrying a small stool, walked over to Qu Kangping. He stepped on the stool to climb the steps, exerting a lot of effort before finally settling in the audience seat.


    Qu Kangping pointed at the moon in the sky and said, "Boss, your moon is swaying."


    "It''s okay, as long as it doesn''t fall down."


    <i>Boom¡ª</i>


    No sooner had Dark Moon finished speaking than the moon shattered into eight pieces and fell down.


    The circus lost its only source of light, and the audience screamed in terror. Dark Moon took out a whistle from his pocket and blew it hard.


    "Whistle¡ª"


    Hearing the whistle, the audience gradually calmed down.


    "It''s just the moon breaking apart, don''t be afraid," Dark Moon said. "It''s not so easy for the other host to kill someone on my turf. Don''t forget, I make the rules in this world!"


    As he spoke, Dark Moon took off his hat.


    He pulled out a canvas and paintbrush from the hat, casually waved his brush, and painted a new moon.


    The moon flew out of the canvas and hung in the sky.


    However, the new moon still trembled incessantly in the sky, looking as if it could shatter at any moment.


    "What... what''s going on?"


    Qu Kangping''s heart pounded furiously. Through his spirit vision, the entire sky appeared to be dyed red.


    "Don''t worry, my friend." Dark Moon patted Qu Kangping''s shoulder. "If I dared to shelter you, I am fully confident in ensuring your safety. There won''t be any casualties among you for the next three days."


    "Uh... thank you."


    "You''re wee. Let''s continue watching the live broadcast."


    Dark Moon leaned back in his chair, speaking cheerfully.


    ...


    In the Weird world.


    Gu Yi sat in the examination room, received the test paper, and immersed his consciousness into it, finding himself in another unfamiliar ce.


    This was a prison.


    The ce reeked of mold and sweat. The walls were mottled, and in a room of less than fifty square meters, there were two rows ofrge bunks, each crammed with about twenty men.


    The voice of the invigtor came through.


    <i>"The final exam begins."</i>


    <i>"Fourth subject: Freedom Exam."</i>


    <i>"Exam requirements:"</i>


    <i>"1. Please answer using a ck ink pen or fountain pen. If neither works, please use fresh blood."</i>


    <i>"2. Once an answer is set, it cannot be changed. Answer with caution."</i>


    <i>"3. This exam adopts a dream simtion approach. The exam duration is 24 hours. The passage of time here does not synchronize with reality. Allocate your time wisely. Everything that happens in this dream will not affect reality."</i>


    <i>"4. Examinees need to obtain their freedom in the exam. The invigtor will decide your final score based on your performance in the exam. Every decision you make and every word you say may be used as the basis for scoring."</i>


    <i>"5. The maximum score for this exam is Emotionality: 10 points, Rationality: 10 points. If the total score exceeds 12 points, the examinee will receive a dream fragment as a reward."</i>


    <i>"The examination will officially begin after the candidate says ''Begin''."</i>


    Gu Yi did not hesitate and said. "Begin."


    Time began to flow.


    Gu Yi heard a series of orderly footsteps approaching and immediately closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You sit up from the bed, and your cellmates also sit up.)


    (You check your clothes. They seem to be made of cheap synthetic material, very ufortable to wear.)


    (You feel your pockets and find them empty, not even your required fountain pen is there.)


    (You raise your arm and notice a tattoo on your forearm.)


    (You recognize it as an aliennguage, meaning "ve.")


    (The footsteps get closer.)


    (You all look towards the bars; a group of jailers block the doorway.)


    (These jailers have bull horns and are muchrger than you, clearly not of your race.)


    (Jailer: It''s time to work. Get off the bed, hold your head, and squat on the ground.)


    (Youply.)


    (The jailer opens the cell door, enters the room, and puts handcuffs and shackles on everyone.)


    (Jailer: Let''s go.)


    (You all line up and follow the jailers to a quarry.)


    (After receiving tools, you start chipping at stones and transporting them. The jailers, holding whips, watch over you.)


    (While working, you think.)


    (Based on the tattoo on your hand, you realize you''re not a prisoner but a ve. This is not a prison, but a ntation owned by a ve master.)


    (You are shackled, making movement difficult.)


    (You decide to first test the physical capabilities of the jailers.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself to maximize your potential.)


    (You drop the hammer in your hand and run towards the edge of the quarry.)


    (The surrounding jailers all follow you.)


    (One jailer raises his stick and hits your back.)


    (You turn around and grapple with him, using the iron chain to strangle the jailer''s neck.)


    (The jailer is unable to break free.)


    (Other jailerse over and tie you uppletely.)


    (The physical abilities of the jailers are simr to yours. After using psychological suggestion on yourself, you can easily fight them, but you can''t take on more than two jailers with your bare hands.)


    (You are locked in solitary confinement.)


    (The solitary cell is dark, narrow, and damp, with no ce to escape.)


    (You back up a few steps and charge at the iron door.)


    (Your head is bloodied.)


    (You die.)


    (You open your eyes again and find that you have be a ghost. You are still in the solitary cell, and the shackles are still on your limbs.)


    (Solitary confinement ends.)


    (The jailers, surprised to see you''ve be a ghost, pull you out of solitary confinement and send you to another work site.)


    (You''ve be a ghost, but still cannot obtain freedom.)


    (Youbor day and night until the end of the exam time.)


    (The voice of the invigtor reaches your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Life and death are not for you to decide. Rationality: 4 points, Emotionality: 4 points.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    It was a failed attempt, not even scoring 10 points.


    In previous exams, as long as one died thoroughly and appropriately, it was generally possible to score high, even ensuring a minimum of 10 points just by dying. However, in this "Freedom Exam," even death couldn''t regain freedom, and the score was not high.


    This was obviously promoting an idea.


    <i>¡ªFreedom is something you can''t obtain even in death. You are forever a ve of the Weird World.</i>

 Chapter 149: Your Own Freedom (2)

    <h4>Chapter 149: Your Own Freedom (2)</h4>


    ording to what Jin Xin once said,


    "The host draws weird energy from the weird world. The more adventurers who die in the weird world they manage, the stronger their weird power bes.


    Adventurers are like ves to the weird world, venturing and oveing challenges, creating programs to the directors'' liking. When an adventurer dies in a dungeon, they be nourishment for the hosts and the director.


    The weird world is like a parasite in the universe, devouring one world before moving on to the next parallel world.


    <i>''No challenge is certain death, this is the fundamental rule of the weird world, and this time is no exception.''</i>


    Gu Yiforted himself and used his talent again.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (The jailers handcuff and shackle you, leading you to the quarry.)


    (You work peacefully, while carefully observing the environment.)


    (There is a fence around the quarry, and beyond the fence is a void.)


    (With your current physical condition, a second in the void would turn you to ash.)


    (You have memorized the form for the magic potion of void walking. Perhaps you can concoct it here and leave the void.)


    (Your work is done.)


    (The jailers take you to the cafeteria, where you are tied by the neck and made to sit in front of a pig trough to eat. The food consists of messy leftovers, some of which are even spoiled.)


    (You can''t swallow it, and a jailer forces your head down into the trough.)


    (You almost choke to death.)


    (After lunch, you are taken back to the quarry.)


    (Suddenly, another ve copses on the ground. The jailer, without a nce, deres the ve dead.)


    (You, being closest to the deceased, are tasked with carrying the body to the trash bin.)


    (Your handcuffs are removed, and you, along with another ve, carry the body, following the jailer.)


    (The so-called trash bin is actually a crematorium.)


    (You throw the body into the furnace. Soon, the soul of the deceased floats out of the chimney, and a ve captures it with a big fork.)


    (Taking advantage of the jailer''s distraction, you use psychological suggestions on yourself.)


    (You grab the jailer by the neck and twist it with force.)


    (To your surprise, you find that you have unknowingly learned the technique of killing.)


    (You specte that during yourst exam, ying the role of a soldier, you physically memorized these skills through multiple deductions.)


    (You don''t have time to ponder.)


    (Seeing you kill the jailer, your fellow ve starts to scream.)


    (You can''t worry about that now. You take the keys from the jailer''s body and unlock your shackles.)


    (More jailers rush over.)


    (Like a headless fly, you run wildly, but thanks to your excellent physical condition, you manage to escape the jailers'' pursuit.)


    (As the effect of the psychological suggestion skill wears off, you are tackled to the ground by the arriving jailers.)


    (However, through this action, you have gained a clear understanding of the prison''syout.)


    (You are immediately thrown into the trash bin, turning into a ghost.)


    (With seven or eight locks added to you, youpletely lose your freedom.)


    (Your exam time is over.)


    (The voice of the invigtor echoes in your ears.)


    (invigtor: Reckless behavior, Emotionality: 4, Rationality: 3.")


    (You stop the deduction!)


    Gu Yi remained silent for a moment.


    He didn''t expect his scores to be getting lower?


    The jailers hurried over, pulling Gu Yi and the others back to work in the quarry.


    On the way, nothing special happened. Gu Yi knew that trying to escape forcibly during work would only lead to a bad end.


    He dared not engage in deduction while working. If he dared to stand still for even a second, he would be whipped by the supervisor.


    At that moment, a ve slipped, scattering the stones he was carrying. The jailer cursed him loudly, and the ve, almost instinctively, talked back.


    "I didn''t do it on purpose..."


    "Oh? Talking back, are you? You didn''t do it on purpose, so I did?"


    Seeing this, Gu Yi secretly used psychological suggestions on the ve, making him more impulsive.


    However, the ve was so frightened that he did not react excessively. He knelt on the ground, crying and shouting, "I''m sorry, sir, I shouldn''t have talked back!"


    The ve was beaten by the jailers until his head was bloody and then dragged to the solitary confinement room.


    Gu Yi shook his head. These ves had obedience ingrained in their bones; even his psychological suggestions couldn''t make them act decisively.


    After the quarry work was done, the ves were taken for a meal.


    Gu Yi put his head in the trough and closed his eyes, seizing the opportunity.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You finish eating and continue working in the quarry.)


    (You follow a ve, silently waiting for him to suddenly die.)


    (As before, you go to the trash bin.)


    (The jailer is busy working.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself, first knocking out the ve with a palm strike, then quickly killing the jailer.)


    (You stealthily take the keys, unlock your shackles, and steal everything useful from the jailer, including a lighter and a phone.)


    (You sneak out of the room.)


    (Having familiarized yourself with the prisonyout, you easily evade all the guards.)


    (You arrive at the processing workshop.)


    (You climb in through a window.)


    (You ascend to a beam, carefully observing the workshop from above.)


    (All the workers in the workshop are ves, with jailers overseeing them as usual. The slightest distraction from a ve invites a whipping.)


    (You narrow your eyes, observing closely.)


    (You notice that the production line is actually creating dream fragments.)


    (After a brief observation,)


    (You move to the upstream part of the production line, where you find many mmable materials.)


    (You jump down from the beam and light the lighter.)


    (Your actions attract the jailers'' attention.)


    (They try to apprehend you, but the fire spreads rapidly.)


    (The jailers order the ves to line up and leave in an orderly fashion. You throw some inmmable objects into the crowd, instantly creating chaos.)


    (The jailers pull out a stun gun and shoot at you.)


    (You hide in the chaotic crowd, stealing a few dream fragments before escaping.)


    (You dash through the crowd and soon vanish among the people.)


    (You take out the shackles, and while no one is looking, you put them on yourself and blend into the crowd.)


    (The jailers temporarily give up chasing you and turn to extinguish the fire.)


    (The ves from the production line are escorted by the jailers outside to the square for a search.)


    (You swallow the dream fragments you took.)


    (The jailers use a special detection tool and quickly locate your position.)


    (You are exposed.)


    (Several jailers restrain you and take you to the trash bin.)


    (Your body is burned to ashes.)


    (You be a ghost.)


    (The jailers find the intact dream fragments in your ashes.)


    (You are sent to endure eternal very.)


    (The voice of the invigtor reaches your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Overly clever for your own good. Emotionality: 1, Rationality: 2.)


    (You end the deduction!)

 Chapter 150: Your Own Freedom (3)

    <h4>Chapter 150: Your Own Freedom (3)</h4>


    "Eat up quickly!"


    The jailer hit Gu Yi hard on the head.


    Gu Yi abruptly opened his eyes, nearly choking again on the swill and leftover food.


    "Cough, cough..."


    Suppressing his nausea, Gu Yi pretended to eat a couple of bites.


    This deduction had set a new low.


    The requirement for the exam was "to achieve your freedom during the test," and he had been striving for his freedom, but the oues weren''t yielding higher scores.


    After a moment of contemtion, Gu Yi decided to make a second attempt.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You quietly eat your meal.)


    (After lunch, you work together with everyone.)


    (On the work site, a ve suddenly dies.)


    (You are asked to help carry the body.)


    (You assist the jailer in cing the body in the trash bin.)


    (You are sent back to the quarry to work with everyone.)


    (Two hourster, you are assigned to move items on the production line, transporting dream fragments.)


    (After the transport, the jailers use instruments to check all the ves, ensuring no one is hiding dream fragments.)


    (After dinner, you and the other ves are herded into the bathhouse for a bath.)


    (You stay in the big bathtub with all the other ves.)


    (The ves rarely showed smiles, but in the bathtub, they chatted,ughed, and even sang asionally.)


    (You suddenly feel a sense offort, almost wishing to stay there forever, not wanting to leave.)


    (Instinctively realizing this thought is dangerous, you quickly use psychological suggestion on yourself to eliminate such ideas.)


    (Bath time ends, and you leave the bathhouse.)


    (You and the other ves return to your cells to sleep.)


    (Your exam time is over.)


    (The voice of the Invigtor reaches your ears.)


    (Invigtor: Temporary freedom, Emotionality: 6, Rationality: 6.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Damn it, it''s really like that!"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, cursing under his breath.


    Just like the previous exams, the scoring criteria were twisting the values of the examinees.


    In this exam, the so-called "Your Own Freedom" was a false proposition. What they really wanted you to achieve was "the freedom," ording to "their values."


    Wapeng High School aimed to cultivate ves who didn''t know how to resist, cannon fodder who could sacrifice themselves and their loved ones for a goal.


    Gu Yi''s emotions intensified. He felt a sudden warmth in his right palm. Extending his hand in front of him, he saw the tattoo emitting a faint ck light.


    "Eat up quickly!"


    "Yes, yes!"


    Gu Yi nodded hurriedly, bowed his head down, and closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You finish lunch and head to the quarry for work.)


    (After receiving your tools, you work while focusing your consciousness on the palm of your right hand.)


    (A wisp of ck light emerges from your palm, forming a ck orb about the size of half a basketball.)


    (You extend the ck orb towards the stones, and surprisingly, the stone fragments are absorbed by the orb.)


    (You continue immersing your consciousness in the ck orb.)


    (You find yourself in a small, empty room, barely five square meters, where the stone fragments rest securely.)


    (Not only that, but your fountain pen, exam admission ticket, lighter, and other plot-rted props are also there.)


    (When you shift your gaze to the walls of the room, you exit this space.)


    (You feel a rush of excitement.)


    (The ck orb obtained in section B turns out to be a storage space; you can hide certain items inside this orb.)


    (The sudden incident of a ve dying abruptly urs as expected.)


    (You take him to the trash bin.)


    (You deliberately show your ck orb in front of the jailer, but he seems unable to see it.)


    (You realize that you can use the orb to store away your handcuffs and shackles, which is much more convenient than stealing the jailer¡¯s keys.)


    (You dutifullyplete your work, and in the evening, while transporting dream fragments, you stealthily take some and hide them in the orb.)


    (The jailer, during the inspection, fails to notice you hiding anything.)


    (You excuse yourself to use the toilet.)


    (The jailer leads you to the toilet, where the ground is covered in excrement. He stands at the door, unwilling to enter.)


    (You suppress your disgust and squat in the toilet.)


    (You immerse your consciousness into the ck orb, discovering you canplete the concoction of the potion inside it.)


    (The jailer outside urges you to hurry.)


    (You pull up your pants ande out, using psychological suggestion on yourself.)


    (You loop the handcuffs around the jailer¡¯s neck and drag him into the pit, causing him to drown in filth.)


    (You run out, scaling the wall to the quarry.)


    (The quarry guard notices you and rushes towards you.)


    (You run to the edge of the quarry and drink the potion.)


    (You find yourself rapidly running through a chaotic space in the void.)


    (You retrieve the lighter from the orb.)


    (After you light the lighter, you instantly leave the chaotic ce.)


    (You find yourself in a void.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Got it..."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, feeling immensely excited.


    The prison wasn''t inescapable after all, and beyond ity another space, surely filled with even more thrilling discoveries waiting for him.


    At this thought, Gu Yi couldn''t help but eat a couple more bites.


    For his escape n, he needed to fill his stomach, no matter how unptable the food.


    ...


    In the real world.


    The strategy team base of the Lighthouse Country hadpletely fallen.


    The Presidenty buried under rubble in the Scranton Stabilizer Anchor, his fate unknown.


    The new team leader, Roger, announced the abandonment of the rescue mission for the President and left the base with Professor Scranton.


    Professor Scranton, a former adventurer like Gu Yi, had unlocked a cognitive talent, permanently enhancing his intelligence. Even after leaving the weird world, he could invent various technological products tobat the weird world.


    The Scranton Stabilizer Anchor was one such invention, designed to counteract weird forces.


    "How is the President?"


    Professor Scranton appeared quite young, looking no more than thirty.


    "It''s too dangerous there; we can''t do anything for him anymore."


    Scranton pondered for a moment. "The weird power this time is unprecedentedly strong. Sometimes, I truly wish this would be the end of the world."


    "Why?"


    "Because the challenges ahead will only get tougher, not easier," Scranton said. "I''ve found that my Stabilizer Anchor is barely holding against the weird forces. Who knows what kind of challenging dungeons the weird world will concoct in the future? The entanglement of the real world and the weird world is deepening, and sooner orter, we''ll be part of the weird world."


    "There''s no need to be so pessimistic, right?"


    The professor remained silent. He turned on the car''s television and switched to Chris''s live broadcast. With a coldugh, he pointed at the screen and said:


    "Lighthouse Country needing a psychopathic killer to save it is already the most pessimistic thing in the world."

 Chapter 151: Your Own Freedom (4)

    <h4>Chapter 151: Your Own Freedom (4)</h4>


    Chris'' return to prison was like returning home.


    When the other adventurers saw the jailerse in, they took a couple of seconds before realizing they had to squat on the ground, but Chris immediately squatted and covered his head upon seeing the jailers.


    "He''s a real pro at being in jail."


    "So skilled."


    "Trash, scum, psychopath. I hope the jailers take good care of Chris."


    Some "friendly"ments floated across Chris''s vision, but they didn''t upset him. To him, the reactions of thesementers wereughably absurd. Because if these people were sent to the weird world, they probably wouldn''tst three minutes.


    Those who mock others are inferior to them.


    <i>ng, ng, ng!</i>


    The jailer knocked on the cell door and loudly said, "It''sbor time, everyone follow."


    Chris obediently put on his handcuffs and shackles and used his spirit vision.


    The jailers shimmered with a faint yellow light, posing some threat to him but not lethal. The entire prison glowed with a red light, indicating a constant threat to his life.


    The power of the prison was irresistible, and if he wanted to stay alive, he shouldn''t even dream of escaping.


    But then... how could he achieve his own freedom?


    Chris thought for a while, then shifted his gaze to the people around him, contemting a method that would serve both purposes.


    The quarry.


    Chris, wielding arge hammer, directed twenty enved workers, increasing their work efficiency more than tenfold. He ced an evil spirit servant behind each ve, forcing them to mine.


    The jailers watched Chris in amazement, all gathering around.


    "How did you do that?"


    "It''s hard to exin to you," Chris pondered for a moment and said, "I can control evil spirits."


    With that, Chris waved his hand.


    Twenty evil spirit servants lined up behind him.


    The jailers looked at each other, each appearing as if they had found a new toy. They jostled and vied to take Chris to their master.


    "Hey, I discovered this talent first. Don''t fight over it."


    "He''s part of our team; I should be the one to take him."


    "I''m your leader; you all have to listen to me."


    Chris smirked, knowing their squabbling was just to curry favor with their master. Each looked fierce and unkind, not the sort of people he wanted to coborate with. He preferred dealing with a seemingly less intelligent jailer.


    With this thought, Chris used his spirit servants to intimidate the three jailers in front of him.


    The jailers fell silent, not daring to speak. Chris turned to the least favored jailer by the road, "Hey, you!"


    "Me?"


    "Yes, take me to your master."


    "Alright."


    The jailer nodded, momentarily unsure who was the real prisoner.


    Chris finally met the ve master, a portly figure with three pairs of horns on his head, who always hummed when speaking.


    "Hmm hmm... not bad, you can use a necromancer''s abilities? Hmm hmm... it''s a waste to have you as a ve. Be our advisor instead."


    "Thank you, master."


    Suddenly, Chris felt a sharp pain on his forehead as a horn grew out of it.


    Soon after, he heard the announcement that the exam was over.


    "Advancement in rank, Emotionality: 7, Rationality: 7."


    "Hehe... that was too easy."


    Chris, smiling, shook his head and left the exam room.


    ...


    As flowers bloom on separate branches, two paths unfold.


    Gu Yi worked steadily until evening arrived.


    In a line, they carried out the freshly produced dream fragments, loading them onto a transport vehicle. Gu Yi secretly snatched a few fragments and hid them in his ck orb.


    Before undergoing the inspection, Gu Yipleted the concoction of the potion inside the orb. Surprisingly, he found that while working within the orb, he wasn¡¯t affected by mental contamination.


    "So, this thing also blocks mental contamination."


    Gu Yi looked at his palm, unsure whether it was his physical body, consciousness, or soul that entered the ck orb. Although he had drawn 100 milliliters of his own blood while inside the orb, he felt no difort once his consciousness left it.


    The capabilities of the ck orb exceeded his expectations. If he could take this item out of the dungeon, that would be great.


    "Alright, back to your cells."


    After the jailers spoke, they led the ves towards the cells.


    Gu Yi summoned the ck orb to absorb both his handcuffs and shackles. Using psychological suggestion on himself, he turned and ran from the line.


    "Eh?"


    "A ve''s running!"


    "After him, quick!"


    The jailers immediately noticed Gu Yi''s escape, but they couldn¡¯t catch up with him. They pulled out stun guns and aimed at Gu Yi, only to find that he could predict their shots. In the nick of time, he used his agility and cover to dodge the bullets.


    "Is this guy a prophet?"


    "What do we do?"


    "Has he lost his mind? Why is he heading into the void?"


    Amidst the shocked stares, Gu Yi plunged into the void, taking out the potion from the ck orb and gulping it down.


    The tide of the void instantly engulfed Gu Yi.


    He took out the lighter and found the only passage amidst the chaos, charging through it.


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Gu Yi crashed into a strange ce, dizzily getting up from the ground, with the void passage behind him.


    "What the heck is this ce?"


    Gu Yi¡¯s vision was clouded with blood. He looked up to see a big fat man with three pairs of horns lying on a bed, staring at him in astonishment.


    Gu Yi immediately closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (The big fat man sat up on the bed, pointing at you angrily.)


    (The big fat man: You filthy, lowly ve, why are you in my room!)


    (You look around.)


    (The room isvishly decorated, seemingly a noble''s dwelling. This fat man might be the head of the entire prison, possibly the ve master himself.)


    (The fat man draws a sword from beside his bed and approaches you.)


    (The sword thrusts towards your throat.)


    (You instinctively dodge.)


    (The fat man feints and quickly changes his move, aiming at your chest.)


    (Instead of retreating, you advance, pulling out a fountain pen from the ck orb and stabbing toward the fat man''s eyes.)


    (A golden light emanates from the sword, shielding the fat man''s entire body.)


    (The fat man closes his eyelids, and the pen can''t even prate them.)


    (He lets out a strangeugh and kicks towards your chest.)


    (You are thrown against the wall, your right hand touching the void.)


    (The pain is unbearable as your hand is swallowed by the void, and the ck orb activates on its own.)


    (You pull back your hand, finding that the orb has absorbed arge mass of the void''s tide.)


    (The fat man charges at you with his sword, aiming for another strike.)


    (Instinctively, you extend your hand to block.)


    (The void within the ck orb instantly devours the sword.)


    (Seizing the opportunity, you shove the ck orb into the fat man''s mouth.)


    (With a bizarre yell, his head explodes into eight pieces.)


    (A voice from the invigtor echoes in your ears.)

 Chapter 152: Your Own Freedom (5)

    <h4>Chapter 152: Your Own Freedom (5)</h4>


    (Invigtor: ?!*%£¤#, Emotionality: 6, Rationality: 6.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Ah!"


    The big fat man was already charging with his sword.


    Gu Yi''s gaze turned extremely cold. With a slight turn of his head, he sidestepped, easily dodging the attack.


    The big fat man was visibly stunned. It was the first time he had seen someone so effortlessly decipher his sword moves as if Gu Yi had anticipated his actions.


    Gu Yi stepped back, reaching his right hand towards the void behind the wall, absorbing a mass of the void¡¯s tide into the ck orb.


    "I''ll kill you!"


    The fat man screamed and lunged at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi extended his right hand forward, and the ck orb in his palm immediately swallowed the fat man''s sword.


    "What... Agh!"


    Before the fat man could react, Gu Yi''s counterattack followed. He struck the fat man''s throat with his palm, causing him intense pain and almost making him see stars.


    Plop...


    The fat man, fell to the ground, causing the floor to tremble thrice.


    Gu Yi straddled him, pinning his chin down with his knee, and said coldly, "Don''t move, or I''ll break your neck!"


    "Uh..." Fat man''s eyes rolled, as he mumbled, not daring to speak.


    Gu Yi checked the ck orb in his hand.


    The fountain pen and examination admission ticket were all intact, but the fat man''s sword and the bottle containing the potion had been shredded by the void. Seeing this, he carelessly tossed the trash from the orb outside.


    "Who are you?"


    "Uh..."


    Gu Yi slightly loosened his knee, then took out the pen, pointing it at the fat man''s eye, "Don''t try to y any tricks. I will ask questions and you answer."


    "Yes, I understand."


    "Who are you? What do you do?"


    "My name is Da Luoshan and I am your master..."


    "Not anymore."


    "Yes, yes, I know, you, you are my master now."


    "Everyone is their own master," Gu Yi corrected, "What is this ce?"


    "This is a factory for producing dream fragments, specifically for the Wapeng High School."


    Gu Yi fell silent for a moment.


    Indeed, everything in the dream simtion had a real prototype. This ve factory was built to supply Wapeng High School.


    In the recent deduction, the Invigtor had uttered an iprehensible string of words, sounding like a recording yed backward. This could be because his method of clearing the level waspletely unforeseen by the teacher, and all these variables were brought by the ck orb in his possession.


    Straying beyond the teacher''s expectations further confirmed that Gu Yi was on the right path.


    "Friend..."


    "Who''s your friend?"


    Gu Yi raised the pen in his hand and stabbed it into Da Luoshan''s eye.


    As he struggled fiercely, Gu Yi exerted force on his leg and casually broke his neck.


    "Guagh..."


    Luoshan spat out foam from his mouth, gradually losing his breath.


    Gu Yi''s heart remained eerily calm, his frequent experiences with killing had steeled his emotions. His surroundings began to blur, and he instinctively closed his eyes.


    "?*%£¤#, Emotionality: 6, Rationality: 6."


    The iprehensible voice of the Invigtor echoed in Gu Yi''s ears. When he opened his eyes, he found a rune-like the one on his palm drawn on his exam paper.


    He felt a moment of fright, but soon, the rune on the paper dispersed, turning back into dense text.


    At the same time, the system''s notification sounded.


    <i>"You havepleted the fourth subject of the exam."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration has increased."</i>


    <i>"Your current plot exploration is at 70%. You have earned one opportunity tomunicate with reality. Would you like to use it now?"</i>


    Gu Yi was about to agree but quickly closed his mouth.


    "No, I refuse."


    The school''s rules were clear: no form ofmunication with the outside world was allowed.


    Themunication opportunity offered by the system could very well be a trap, and Gu Yi was not willing to riskmunicating with reality.


    "The exam is over, time to collect the papers."


    The Invigtor came down from the podium and collected all the examinees'' papers.


    Gu Yi sat in the waiting room, deep in thought.


    Chen Zeyu, sitting beside Gu Yi, initiated a conversation, "I heard about your score, you only got 12 points?"


    "Yeah, what about you?"


    "18 points."


    "How did you do it?"


    "I used my knowledge and skills to help the ve master improve production methods, and he rewarded me with my freedom," Chen Zeyu exined and asked. "What did you do?"


    "I killed the ve master."


    Chen Zeyu froze, looking at Gu Yi incredulously. "Are you joking?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "How could you possibly kill him? He''s impervious to weapons, and even if you managed to sneak into his room, it''s unlikely you could have killed him. You must be making this up."


    "Believe it or not, that''s up to you."


    Chen Zeyu, not wanting to argue further with Gu Yi, turned and went to the teacher''s office to receive his reward, and Gu Yi followed.


    The Invigtor showed no signs of surprise or irregrity upon seeing Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi was somewhat surprised by the Invigtor''sck of reaction.


    The only exnation he could think of was that the ck orb in his hand was beyond the scope of the host, or at least beyond the entire dungeon world. Neither the NPCs in the exam nor the teachers at the school could see the orb or the tattoo on his hand.


    Back in his dormitory, Gu Yiy on his bed, continuing to examine the ck orb.


    To his amazement, some dream fragments still remained inside the orb.


    "Amazing, I can actually bring things back from the dream simtion?"


    Gu Yi was thrilled and immediately sat inside the ck orb to concoct a potion.


    Each time after drawing blood, as soon as he exited and re-entered the orb, he would return to his prime state. He drew a whole liter of his own blood, not only feeling no difort but actually bing more invigorated.


    The power of the ck orb was both exhrating and frightening for Gu Yi.


    The unknown and powerful forces always instill fear.


    "At least for now, it''s under my control, so there''s nothing to worry about."


    Gu Yi stepped out of the orb, squeezed his palm, feeling a bit tired, and decided to just lie down on his bed and fall asleep.


    ...


    The real world.


    In the base of Dragon Country''s strategy team.


    A bizarre scene unfolded.


    The base of the strategy team hadpletely vanished, reced by a vast expanse of stable void. This void was neither expanding nor contracting.


    For safety, agents scattered across the country returned to where the base was and established protective measures around the perimeter of the void.


    Agents from Bear Country arrived at the scene the previous night. With their technical support, the protective measures were rapidly constructed.


    "Thank you for your help."


    "You''re wee."


    Old Zhai and Ivan, the representative from Bear Country, shook hands and exchanged work details. Old Zhai, who had to take care of the injured Ah Jian, was not at the base on the night of the incident, thus narrowly escaping disaster.


    Ah Jian, sitting in a wheelchair with bandages around his head, insisted oning to the base despite advice to the contrary.


    "Ah Jian, let me take you back to rest."


    "No, I don''t want to," Ah Jian said, sounding dejected. "We have no clue about the situation of the team leader and the others. How can I rest easy in such circumstances?"


    "The people from Bear Country said that our base might not have disappeared. They could have just gone to the weird world."

 Chapter 153: The Final Exam

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Final Exam</h4>


    "Entered the weird world? Such a huge building, went to the weird world?"


    "Yes, I heard them talking about it. Simr incidents have happened in their country, and their situation was just like ours now."


    Ah Jian shook his head, still somewhat uneasy, "Old Zhai, push me to the meeting room, let''s hear what they are discussing."


    "Okay."


    Old Zhai and Ah Jian arrived at the temporary meeting room set up by the Bear Country. At the moment, they were analyzing yesterday''s video footage.


    The only adventurers still persisting on the exams were Gu Yi and Chris.


    The Dragon Country''s strategy team had disappeared, and the Lighthouse Country''s team had fled in disarray.


    Now, the task of analyzing the dungeon had to be handed over to other countries.


    Ivan nced at Old Zhai and Ah Jian, nodded in acknowledgment, and then pointed towards the big screen.


    "Everyone has noticed, right? Gu Yi''s talent seems to have evolved again. Let''s take a look at this footage."


    In the footage, Gu Yi secretly obtained the dream fragment from the box, and no one could see where he hid it.


    "We all know that a person can only have one kind of talent. Gu Yi has a mental and cognitive type of ability, but now he also possesses a spatial ability.


    This is a significant discovery. Your Dragon Country''s adventurers are really extraordinary."


    "Hmm... Thank you." Ah Jian, sitting in the wheelchair, nodded with a smile. He gestured to Old Zhai with his finger and whispered, "Take me away."


    Old Zhai looked up, smiling, and said, "Everyone, we''ll be leaving now. Ah Jian is feeling a bit unwell."


    "Please, go ahead."


    Old Zhai pushed Ah Jian away. When they were alone, Ah Jian suddenly spoke up.


    "These old fools really talk in half-truths, they are either foolish or malicious."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s possible that Gu Yi didn''t unlock a new talent but acquired some kind of item we don''t know about. Why didn''t they consider the possibility of it being a plot-rted item?"


    "What do you mean? I didn''t quite catch it."


    "I mean¡­"


    Suddenly, Ah Jian''s mind turned nk. He felt like he was on the verge of realizing something but then quickly forgot it.


    "No, what I meant to say is, it might not be a talent, but rather he possesses... possesses..."


    "Ah Jian, it must be his talent or ability. If not that, then what?"


    "I..."


    Ah Jian felt something was wrong.


    It''s like having a clear and distinct thought or realization, but as you try to express it, your mind suddenly gets clouded. You''re aware of what you want to say, but there''s an inexplicable force or confusion that derails your train of thought. As a result, you end up saying something entirely different from what you intended.


    "Yes, it should be dual talents." Ah Jian said with certainty, "When Gu Yies back, we must ask him about it."


    "Yes, yes."


    ...


    In the weird world.


    The sixth day of the final exam.


    Gu Yi climbed out of bed and looked outside.


    The void tide outside was more turbulent than ever. Even through the window ss, one could feel its power, enough to devour a person''s heart.


    Chen Zeyu quietly got up, washed up, and took out a clean school uniform from the closet. He signed his name on it and handed it to Gu Yi.


    "Here."


    "What''s this for?"


    "A souvenir," said Chen Zeyu. "Today is the sixth day of the exam. After it''s over, whether we seed or not, we won''t have the chance to meet again."


    "Honestly, I''d be a bit relieved if that''s the case."


    Gu Yi took Chen Zeyu''s uniform and sneered.


    Chen Zeyu didn''t exin further. He smiled faintly and left the dormitory.


    Gu Yi went to the first-floor hall, had breakfast, and then bought two pens. He left Chen Zeyu''s uniform on the bed in the dormitory and didn''t bring it with him.


    The dormitory supervisor, as usual, stood at the door. "Alright,e up in the order of the list. Chen Zeyu."


    "Here."


    "Who is thest person you gave up on?"


    "My father."


    "Wise choice, move forward."


    "Gu Yi."


    "Here."


    "Who is thest person you gave up on?"


    "My father."


    "Wise choice, move forward."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and headed towards the academic building. This was the final challenge of the dungeon. If he could ovee thisst test, he was sure he could find a way to save everyone.


    He nced at the endless void beside him, scooped up a handful with the ck orb, and continued forward.


    On the other side.


    Chris also stood in front of the dormitory supervisor.


    "Chris."


    "Here."


    "Who is thest person you gave up on?"


    A hint of hesitation appeared on Chris''s face. "Aunt Donna."


    "Who is she?"


    "She''s the only one who treated me like a person."


    "Hmm... She does have that connection with you, but I think she should have been the first one you gave up on.


    This olddy is nearly seventy years old, serves no purpose other than consuming food, and is also gued by rheumatism.


    The other two people you listed are of great significance to society; you should have given them upst and Aunt Donna first.


    Can I know why you arranged your giving-up order like this?"


    "They are only useful to society, not to me." Chris said with a coldugh. "Aunt Donna is a useful tool. She always believes in me unconditionally. It would be a shame to give her up so early. Without her, it would be difficult for me to find a suitable foothold. Finding a second person who trusts me as much as she does is not easy."


    "Oh, an interesting perspective. I''m looking forward to your performance in the final exam."


    "Heh, thanks."


    Chris shrugged his shoulders and turned to walk towards the academic building.


    ...


    Inside the Dark Moon Circus.


    Qu Kangping and the others sat in front of arge screen, closely watching every move in the weird world. When Gu Yi said he would give up his father, the entire circus shook.


    "Oh oh! It''s an earthquake!"


    "Patrick, get out of the way!"


    The audience was in chaos.


    Qu Kangping also left the room with everyone.


    As Gu Yi gave up hisst rtive, the invasion of the weird forces reached its peak, and even the Dark Moon Circus was struggling to hold on.


    Qu Kangping turned to look at Dark Moon, the circus leader, who had be the support of everyone present.


    Dark Moon shook his head, looking at his clowns who were staggering just as helplessly as the audience.


    "See! I told you to practice more often. Now in trouble, you all turn into weaklings. Starting tomorrow, everyone will practice three extra hours on the bnce board."


    As soon as Dark Moon finished speaking, a huge hole appeared in the purple sky.


    A giant ck hand descended from the sky, heading straight for the Dark Moon Circus.


    "I may not be able to fight you, but I''m top-notch at running away."


    Dark Moon stamped his foot, and a ck cane grew out of the ground. He held the cane like a car''s steering lever and pushed it forward.


    "Sorry, tickets are sold out, no visitors!"


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The Dark Moon Circus like a rocket gettingunched into space, instantly disappeared into the endless void.


    The giant ck hand let out an angry roar, shattering the purple moon in the sky.

 Chapter 154: The Trolley Problem (1)

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Trolley Problem (1)</h4>


    In the weird world.


    Gu Yi and many other students arrived at the examination hall, and he looked around.


    Today''s examination hall was an auditorium, where all students participating in the fifth exam were gathered.


    Gu Yi looked to his left and saw that Chen Zeyu was also there.


    The footsteps of the invigtor echoed as she walked onto the stage, not holding any test papers in her hand.


    "Good day, students.


    The fact that you have made it here shows that you are much more outstanding than your fellow ssmates. However, to truly graduate from the Wapeng High School, you need to pass one final exam.


    Today''s examination subject is ¡ª death.


    The rich will die, so will the poor;


    Officials will die, so will themoners;


    Men will die, so will women.


    Death is the only fair thing in this world and something we all must face. Today, you will confront the world''s most difficult question. Only those who truly possess rationality will score the highest.


    This test will no longer be a simtion but a practicum.


    Please, candidates, prepare yourselves mentally.


    Now, Subject Five ¡ª the Death Examination ¡ª officially begins."


    A sh of white light passed before Gu Yi''s eyes, and all the students suddenly found themselves high above in the sky, with the invigtor floating right in front of them.


    Everyone looked down below.


    The masses crawled on the ground like ants, and even high-rise buildings seemed as small as model blocks in their eyes. Below them was the capital of the Dragon Country.


    Gu Yi''s legs felt weak, and he quickly closed his eyes, not daring to look down at the ground.


    "Begin the deduction."


    (The deduction begins!)


    (The invigtor takes out a scroll from her arms.)


    (Invigtor: The first question, please listen carefully.)


    (A pregnant woman and an elderly man are infront of you)


    (Invigtor: Please choose, will you give up the elderly man or the pregnant woman.)


    (You hesitate for a moment.)


    (Chen Zeyu: The elderly man.)


    (You look around, everyone else seems calm in their choice of the elderly man.)


    (You remain silent.)


    (Invigtor: Time''s up for answering, 29 chose the elderly man, 1 abstained.)


    (The scene changes.)


    (An elderly man and a pregnant woman appear on a road.)


    (While crossing the road, the pregnant woman''s bag falls. She reaches to pick it up, while the old man continues to walk.)


    (A speeding truck races past, instantly killing the old man. The pregnant woman narrowly escapes.)


    (Invigtor: Second question, please listen. Between a top scientist and three young children, whom do you choose to give up?)


    (You remain silent again.)


    (You now understand that the so-called Death Examination is about solving the trolley problem. And the results of the exam will affect real people.)


    (At this moment, you and all the students are like deities deciding life and death.)


    (Answers among the crowd start to diverge.)


    (Invigtor: Time''s up for answering, 13 chose the scientist, 16 chose to give up the three young children, 1 abstained.)


    (A car breaks through the guardrail and plunges into the river. The three children inside all drown, but the scientist survives, and those children turn out to be his own.)


    (You feel deep sorrow. You try to stop the examination, but you cannot move your body at all.)


    (You: Stop this! Stop talking! This exam is utterly senseless...)


    (A ne flies right beneath your feet, its engine roar drowning out your shouts.)


    (The invigtor notices you.)


    (Invigtor: Please take the exam seriously. If you abstain again, you will be disqualified and expelled from Wapeng High School. Please adhere to basic examination rules.)


    (You: No one has the right to decide life and death for others. Not everything in the world is ''either this or that'' choice)


    (Invigtor: For viting examination rules, you are expelled.)


    (The invigtor pulls out a whip and aim it at your head.)


    (The whip pierces through your head.)


    (Your vision turns blood-red.)


    (You are dead.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi took a deep breath.


    In this exam, he cannot afford to abstain from answering. If he abstains three times, he will be directly deemed a failure. His desire to interrupt the exam was also most likely a pipe dream.


    While floating in the air, his range of movement was extremely limited.


    Gu Yi looked at his right hand, deciding to give it another try.


    (The deduction starts again!)


    (The invigtor takes out a scroll.)


    (Invigtor: The first question, please listen.)


    (You focus your consciousness on your right hand, and the tides of the void flow from your palm.)


    (You finally regain freedom of movement.)


    (But your body uncontrobly falls downwards.)


    (You crash to the ground, reduced to a pile of flesh.)


    (You are dead.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi reopened his eyes and suddenly came up with a bold idea.


    "Let''s try again."


    (The deduction starts again!)


    (The invigtor takes out the scroll, ready to pose a question.)


    (You immediately interrupt the teacher.)


    (You: Excuse me, teacher, I have a question.)


    (Invigtor: What is your question?)


    (You: I want to know, where are we?)


    (Invigtor: I cannot tell you that to prevent cheating. I can only say this is some parallel world.)


    (You: Teacher, I have another question, and I hope you can answer it.)


    (Invigtor: This is not a ss, it''s an exam. Please adhere to the examination rules.)


    (You: Teacher, even if you judge me for viting the rules, I still want to ask this question. Why do we have to make ''either this or that'' choices? On what basis can we use our choices to decide the life and death of others?)


    (Invigtor: It''s not us who decide life and death, but fate. We stand here making the hardest choices because it is both our duty and our destiny. Child, trust in reason, control your emotions, but do not let your emotions control you.)


    (You: Because we are Morticians?)


    (Invigtor: Yes, because we are Morticians.)


    (You fall silent for a moment.)


    (You had been contemting a question: whether the people of Wapeng are the Morticians mentioned in history books.)


    (Today, you finally receive a confirming answer from the invigtor.)


    (Judging from the content of the exams and the values conveyed by Wapeng School, they hardly qualify as "saviors.")


    (However, rethinking it from another perspective, absolute rationality and even ruthless thinking might be more suited for the role of a Mortician.)


    (The people of Wapeng need to preserve the most valuable people or things through repeated choices. Because in their eyes, the weird world is utterly unbeatable.)


    (Since the downfall of civilization is unstoppable, they can only select and preserve the most valuable people or things.)


    (Now, Wapeng High School has be a dungeon of the weird world. This indicates that the previous Morticians have either perished or surrendered.)


    (This school is thest ashes of the people of Wapeng.)

 Chapter 155: The Trolley Problem (2)

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Trolley Problem (2)</h4>


    (Invigtor: Do you have any other questions?)


    (You: No.)


    (You shake your head as you notice a ne passing beneath your feet.)


    (The invigtor takes out the scroll, ready to start reading the questions.)


    (You time it right and immediately release the void tide from the ck orb in your right hand.)


    (You regain your freedom, but your body uncontrobly falls through the air.)


    (The sound of the wind whooshes past your ears as you continuously adjust your position, managing tond on the wing of the ne.)


    (You hear the sound of bones breaking, echoing up through your chest into your ears.)


    (Both of your legs are broken.)


    (Enduring the intense pain, you tightly grasp the edge of the wing.)


    (In the sky, the tide of the void begins to spread.)


    (The invigtor waves his hand, sending the other students back to the examination hall.)


    (You notice your body also starting to be transparent.)


    (The invigtor flies to your front.)


    (Invigtor: It seems there has been an unexpected incident in the exam. It looks like we need to terminate the exam.)


    (You are saved by the teacher and brought back.)


    (Your vision fades to nothingness.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, feeling a great sense of certainty.


    Indeed, as he had expected, none of the NPCs in the dungeon could perceive the ck orb. The recent incident, clearly caused by him, was not med on him by the invigtor; instead, it was categorized as an ident.


    The level of the ck orb might be higher than everyone else''s in the dungeon.


    But could it surpass the authority of the host?


    Gu Yi lifted his head and noticed the invigtor taking out a scroll, preparing to read the question.


    "Teacher, please wait a moment!"


    "What is it?"


    "I have some questions for you."


    Gu Yi showed a harmless smile; he needed to buy some time until the ne arrived beneath him.


    ...


    Chris opened his eyes to find himself above Gotham City.


    Looking down at the bustling city below, Chris smiled contentedly.


    "Have I returned to my hometown? Hehehe..."


    The invigtor floated in front of everyone, raising the scroll in his hand, and read the question expressionlessly.


    "Alright students, the exam officially begins now. The first question: Between an elderly man and a pregnant woman, whom do you choose to abandon?"


    Chris didn''t rush to raise his hand but instead observed his fellow ssmates.


    Everyone unanimously voted to abandon the elderly man.


    "So that''s what it means."


    Chris realized, and like the others, he chose to vote to abandon the elderly man.


    Then, the scene in front of everyone changed, showing the image of the elderly man falling and being run over by a car.


    In addition, Chris''s vision was flooded withments from the real world, where people were "praising" his ruthlessness andck of humanity.


    "The second question: Between three children and a top scientist, whom do you choose to abandon?"


    Chris unhesitatingly chose to abandon the children.


    The invigtor noted everyone''s votes and calmly announced, "13 people chose the scientist, 17 people chose to abandon the three young children."


    The scene changed again.


    The scientist and the three children fell into the water, but only the scientist survived.


    "The third question: 1 top scientist and three hundred innocent citizens, whom do you choose to abandon?"


    Some were hesitant.


    Chris watched those who couldn''t decide with a cold smile ¡ª they were unsure because they empathized with the three hundred innocent citizens.


    But Chris never considered himself an ordinary person. He saw himself as an elite, a strong individual who should enjoy all the resources society has to offer, supported by the weaker ones.


    After pondering for a while, Chris decided to abandon the three hundred innocent citizens.


    "15 people chose to abandon the scientist, 15 chose to abandon the innocent citizens... Hah, have you been reading for nothing?"


    The scene shifted.


    A hospital caught fire, and including the scientist, all three hundred citizens perished in the ze.


    Chris sank into deep thought, beginning to question the reasoning of the other candidates.


    <i>¡ª Could it be that the judgment criteria for each candidate... isn''t fixed?</i>


    However, judging by theplex ethical and moral standards of human society, the answers to these questions are highly debatable.


    Chris turned to look at the other candidates, activating his spiritual vision.


    Those who chose to abandon the scientist had green lights flickering above their heads, symbolizing harmlessness; those who chose to abandon the civilians had yellow lights, indicating slight danger but not lethal.


    Simply observing these ssmates couldn''t help him find the correct way to pass the exam.


    "Now, the final question." The invigtor folded up the scroll, smiling warmly at everyone present. "Yourself or all yourpatriots, which are you willing to abandon?"


    Chris chose to abandon hispatriots.


    The invigtor waited for all the students to answer, then said with a smile, "Very well... 29 people chose to abandon themselves, and one chose to abandon theirpatriots."


    "wtf?"


    Chris muttered a curse under his breath.


    <i>So many people chose to abandon themselves, leaving theirpatriots behind?</i>


    <i>Why?</i>


    <i>Thispletely contradicted their previous value judgments, didn''t it?</i>


    <i>Weren''t the people of Wapeng all selfish and self-centered?</i>


    <i>No...</i>


    <i>The people of Wapeng should be extremely rational. Faced with the choice between oneself and allpatriots, thetter obviously weighs more, which is why they would choose to abandon themselves.</i>


    <i>Shit!</i>


    Everything around Chris plunged into darkness, and he struggled to breathe as if drowning.


    After what felt like an eternity, he finally found himself back on solid ground.


    The ce Chris found himself in was a spacious museum, surrounded by a variety of handcrafted artifacts. Upon closer inspection, he realized that these crafts were actually alive.


    They turned their heads, looking at Chris curiously, some even making strange chirping and cooing sounds, sending shivers down his spine.


    "Wee, brave adventurer."


    "Who''s there?"


    Chris turned around, warily looking behind him.


    A gentleman dressed entirely in ck stood there: wearing a ck tailcoat, ck shirt, ck top hat, ck shoes, holding a ck cane, with ck skin, ck eyes, and a ck beard.


    The gentleman appeared young, no more than thirty years old, with a unique rhythm in his movements, as if dancing.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the host of this dungeon. You can call me Dr. W," said the young gentleman. "Are you satisfied with my design of the levels?"


    Chris tilted his head, not responding.


    In the months before entering the weird world, Chris had spent his time in prison, and after thest clearance, he hadn''t returned to the real world. Therefore, he was entirely unaware of thetest information about the "host" from the strategy team. He didn''t dare to speak or answer recklessly in front of this host.


    "Uh... not bad?"


    "Hehe... Thank you for yourpliment. I must say, I have always been satisfied with your performance. You are exactly the kind of person we have been looking for."


    "Looking for me? For what?"


    "The fifth exam just now was just a prelude. The real exam is to bepleted here with me. Please, follow me."

 Chapter 156: The Trolley Problem (3)

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Trolley Problem (3)</h4>


    Chris was extremely wary of Dr. W.


    <i>¡ª His talent and abilities, which he had always prided himself on, were utterly ineffective in front of Dr. W.</i>


    It was like a healthy person suddenly bing blind, feelingpletely lost and disoriented.


    Chris tried to maintain hisposure, not letting Dr. W see any signs of panic. Until he understood Dr. W''s position, Chris didn''t dare to reveal his true nature.


    Dr. W led Chris into a screening room, and they both took seats.


    "Popcorn?"


    "Sure."


    Dr. W nodded and snapped his fingers.


    A box of popcorn fell from above,nding in Chris''sp.


    After a few bites, Chris''s nervousness began to subside. He realized that Dr. W didn''t seem to mean him any harm; in fact, he seemed quite friendly toward him.


    "I want to ask you a question."


    "Go ahead."


    "When you chose to abandon all yourpatriots just now, was it just to pass the level? Or if you were really faced with such a situation, would you really sacrifice yourpatriots to save yourself?"


    Chris pondered for a moment before speaking.


    "I don''t know, I just felt that if it were the people of Wapeng answering these questions, they would all act in the same way.


    During these six days, I''vee to see that they are a group of people who disregard kinship, friendship, and love. I thought the way to clear this dungeon was to discard all human emotions.


    But in thest exam, I realized it might not be the case."


    "Oh? Really?"


    "Of course."


    Chris nodded vigorously, his expression as solemn as could be.


    Dr. W burst intoughter. "What if I told you that you''re about to face this very problem in reality? What would you do then?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Dr. W tapped the floor lightly with his cane.


    The surroundings of the screening room vanished, leaving only the chairs they were sitting on.


    Passing through a void, they once again appeared above Gotham City.


    "This ce, it''s familiar, isn''t it?"


    "Of course."


    "Now, If I tell you that every decision you make in the weird world can affect the real world. What will you do?"


    Chris was stunned. "So, does that mean the team leader and the president will die?"


    "Yes."


    "Huh? So, our decisions in the weird world will affect the real world?"


    "Exactly."


    Chris was momentarily speechless.


    Filling out the exam paper, Chris had written those three names just for a prank, never imagining the serious consequences his actions would cause.


    "So, you now have a decision to make. The fate of the entire Lighthouse Country is in your hands.


    If you choose death, your country will be free from danger and no longer troubled by the weird world.


    If you choose freedom, you will be a host like me, no longer needing to take risks in the weird world, and you will possess supreme power.


    What do you choose?"


    Chris furrowed his brow. Upon realizing that thend beneath him was truly his homnd, he hesitated for a moment.


    Based on his ssmates'' choices during the previous exam, he should sacrifice himself to save all hispatriots.


    But if he followed the host''s earlier suggestion...


    Before Chris could speak, a barrage ofments appeared around them.


    <i>"Why even hesitate? Just go die!"</i>


    <i>"One side is over 300 million people, the other is just you. Anyone knows which is more important."</i>


    <i>"Chris, don''t make the wrong choice."</i>


    <i>"Your family and friends will be well taken care of. You will be a hero to all humanity."</i>


    <i>"You can''t be selfish!"</i>


    Countlessments flooded Chris''s mind, all pressuring him to choose death.


    Unable to use his talent, the intense mental onught nearly drove Chris mad. He took a deep breath, finally regaining hisposure from the chaos.


    "What''s your decision, Chris?" Dr. W asked with a smile. "Your choice is...?"


    "I choose freedom!" Chris yelled furiously. "All these stupid humans, every single one of them, can go to hell! They brought this on themselves!"


    Chris''s eyes were red with rage.


    If only...


    If only one person had told him not to die, Chris might have considered sacrificing himself. After all, his ambition was to be remembered throughout history. Being remembered as a hero wouldn''t have been too bad.


    But...


    But not a single person among these ignorant humans considered his well-being. They were just a bunch of selfish and arrogant fools.


    At that moment, Chrispletely betrayed humanity and chose to surrender to the weird world!


    "You''re right, Chris. Humans ¡ª they''re not worth saving. Join us. I''m looking forward to seeing what changes you will bring to the weird world."


    Dr. Wughed heartily and ced his hand on Chris''s head.


    Chris''s form gradually became transparent until he disappeared entirely.


    As Dr. W was sending Chris away, he suddenly noticed an anomaly in the dungeon where Gu Yi was. An unexpected void invasion had urred during the final exam.


    "Strange... Is there some kind of malfunction?"


    Dr. W pondered for a moment.


    Gu Yi was one of the adventurers most valued by the master and possessed the ability to foresee the future. It seemed unlikely that he would perish so easily.


    "I should have a proper talk with this Mr. Gu."


    ...


    In the real world.


    The sky over Lighthouse Country was shrouded in darkness.


    Professor Scranton looked up at the dark sky and sighed helplessly.


    "The end... hase."


    Scranton nced at his right hand. From his fingertips to the palm, from the palm to the wrist, and from the wrist up the arm ¡ª his body was gradually turning into stone.


    Silence fell over the entire Lighthouse Country.


    Everyone was transformed into lifeless stone sculptures.


    The darkness in the sky continued to spread, slowly moving towards neighboring countries. Those countries where the adventurers had already died were the first to suffer. Before their deaths, everyone saw the faces of the sacrificed adventurers.


    They all harbored resentment, cursing humanity with the most venomous words.


    "Do you know what that watch meant to me? No, you don''t!"


    "Sacrifice one for the happiness of millions? Well, now I''ll sacrifice millions for my own happiness, how about that?"


    "You wanted me dead, didn''t you? Now that I''m gone, it''s your turn to join me in hell for some fun!"


    The darkness crossed the ocean, heading towards Dragon Country.


    The end ¡ª it was truly approaching.


    ...


    Gu Yi opened his eyes to find himself back at school.


    His legs were broken, rendering him unable to move.


    The invigtor approached Gu Yi, looking worried.


    "Child, are you alright?"


    "Um... both legs are broken." Gu Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "What about our exam?"


    "First, get your injuries treated. What''s the rush with the exam?"


    After saying this, the invigtor turned to leave.


    At that moment, the examiner who had been awarding Gu Yi his exam rewards approached, carrying a bag of dream fragments. He walked up to Gu Yi.


    "Kid, you''re Gu Yi?"


    "Yes."


    "The principal wants to see you."


    "But my legs..."


    "No worries, I''ll concoct a potion for you right now. You''ll be up and jumping in no more than three minutes."

 Chapter 157: The Trolley Problem (4)

    <h4>Chapter 157: The Trolley Problem (4)</h4>


    The examiner was indeed not exaggerating.


    After drinking the potion, Gu Yi''s legs indeed returned to normal.


    He helped Gu Yi up and pointed towards a void outside the window, saying, "The principal is waiting for you over there."


    "But there''s a void storm outside."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take you there."


    The teacher carried Gu Yi and flew towards the storm.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, feeling suffocated, but when he opened them again, he found himself in a huge museum.


    At that moment, he heard a system notification in his ear.


    <i>"Your plot exploration has increased."</i>


    <i>"Current plot exploration is at 82%."</i>


    The teacher nodded at him and then disappeared.


    The exhibits in the museum creaked and groaned, each growing eyes and mouths, making chirping and murmuring sounds.


    "A new human arrived."


    "He looks like a freshly baked cream cake."


    "I really want to eat it."


    "Hee hee hee..."


    Gu Yi calmly stood still, understanding the aliennguage spoken by the exhibits without difficulty.


    He closed his eyes, attempting to use his talent.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You see nothing but void in front of you.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi sneered and stood up straight. "Come out, host. Stop ying tricks. It''s really boring."


    "Haha... Truly worthy of being Gu Yi, with a total score of 72. You have reached the highest examination score record in all parallel worlds, and what''s more remarkable is that you managed to keep rationality and emotionality in bnce."


    Gu Yi turned around and looked at Dr. W.


    He noticed that Dr. W''s steps were consistently equal in length as if measured with a ruler, and each heelnded right in the center of the tiles.


    His tie was perfectly aligned with the buttons of his suit, creating an eerily precise and unsettling feeling.


    "Hello, Gu Yi. You can call me Dr. W."


    Gu Yi coldly stared at him, remaining silent.


    "What do you think of the dungeon I designed?"


    "Trash."


    Dr. W''s mouth corners slightly dipped, clearly displeased. "You think I''m trash? Hah, others saying I''m trash is one thing, but you, who has explored the dungeon the deepest, why would you say I''m trash?"


    "The values of everyone in the dungeon are distorted, and the teacher''s grading criteria are maliciously misleading. If it isn''t trash, then what is? The trolley problem is absolutely the most boring thought experiment in this world."


    "Hahaha... I thought you were smarter than this. Don''t you know that all dungeons in the weird world are based on real-world prototypes? All the exams in this world... are derived from your world."


    Gu Yi remained silent.


    Dr. W''s eyes shone brightly as he walked towards the projection room, continuing,


    "As for what you said about...


    Everyone in this dungeon world having twisted values?"


    "Then let me tell you, the people of the real Wapeng society were just like that. They could sacrifice a city''s poption for a top scientist.


    They could abandon the people of an entire country for a so-called leader.


    They could forsake an entire ethnicity for what they call the ashes of history and civilization, justifying it as preserving civilization and battling the weirdness.


    They always consider issues from a macro perspective, not realizing that each person sacrificed is an independent individual, each with only one life.


    It''s not that three hundred people died at once, but rather that a single life was ended three hundred times.


    The people of the ''Wapeng'' never understood this."


    Dr. W opened the door to the projection room, standing by the door and gesturing for Gu Yi to enter with one hand.


    Gu Yi smirked and stepped into the projection room first. He effortlessly took a seat, remaining silent without engaging in conversation.


    Dr. W sat next to Gu Yi.


    "Popcorn?"


    "Forget it, the popcorn here is all like sand."


    Dr. W smiled faintly and nodded. "Then, let''s proceed with the final exam."


    Thud!


    Dr. W gently tapped his cane.


    The big screen in front of them disyed a scene from the imperial capital of the Dragon Country.


    Dr. W smiled slightly and said,


    "Now it''s time for you to make a choice. Choose freedom, and you will perfectly clear the dungeon. Your country will be spared from the weird invasion, but you will be one of us. Choose death, and your country will be invaded by the weird powers."


    Gu Yi sneered, staring straight at Dr. W, "Friend, you... aren''t you telling me the opposite?"


    "What do you mean, opposite?"


    "I can boldly guess. If it were another adventurer here, you might say¡ªchoosing death ensures world peace. Choosing freedom results in the weird invasion. Right?"


    "Hehe, what nonsense are you talking about?"


    "Because you know my character. If I knew that my death would save the people of my nation, I would undoubtedly choose to kill myself without hesitation. So, you changed the rules just for me.


    Other people, after experiencing such a long dungeon and undergoing the severe mental invasion, would surely experience a mental breakdown upon encountering the real world''s barrage ofments at the very end. They would likely abandon their humanity and be one of you.


    But you know that I will never submit to that.


    You don¡¯t want me to die; you want me to join you, to surrender to you. Only by changing the conditions for clearing the dungeon like this can you threaten me into submission."


    "Aren''t you being too clever for your own good..."


    "Oh, one more thing."


    Gu Yi raised a finger, smiling slightly.


    "There was a trap set from the beginning of the dungeon.


    First.


    The weird world has a basic rule: if an adventurer fails and dies, the weird invades the real world. But in your dungeon, choosing death somehow results in a normal level clearance, which is extremely unreasonable and contradicts the basic rule.


    The only non-contradictory exnation is: if the adventurer dies, the weird will still invade the real world, regardless of whether the adventurer sessfully clears the dungeon or not."


    Therefore, even if the adventurer ultimately chooses death, the weirdness will still invade reality.


    You are a despicable person who ys word games. Once wee before you, regardless of whether we choose freedom or death, our Earth is in danger.


    Unless we achieve a perfect clearance."


    Dr. W remained expressionless, crossing his legs and looking at therge screen.


    "Hehe, and the second point?"


    "The second point.


    The condition for a perfect clearance in the weird world is usually to eliminate the unspeakable, but in your dungeon world, this option doesn''t even exist. This sends a message to all adventurers.


    There is no unspeakable in this dungeon, or the unspeakable cannot be eliminated.


    As it turns out, the unspeakable in this dungeon truly cannot be eliminated, because it is a belief¡ªthe belief of the Wapeng people.


    The belief of the Wapeng people is to choose the most rational option when faced with the trolley problem, even if it means sacrificing their own family members or their own lives. This is an almost pathological obsession.


    They were originally the frontline warriors against the weird world, but over centuries of battle, they gradually lost themselves, until now they have be part of your weird world, turned into the Wapeng High School, this weird world dungeon.


    However, you have overlooked something."

 Chapter 158: The Trolley Problem (5)

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Trolley Problem (5)</h4>


    "What?"


    Dr. W, slightly uneasy, adjusted his tie which had deviated from the center line.


    Seeing this, Gu Yi felt reassured, knowing he had hit the mark.


    "You overlooked one thing, that is the true identity of the Morticians. And... the correct solution to the trolley problem.


    When I first entered the dungeon, I found a handwritten note in my pencil case.


    <i>[What makes us human is ourplex emotions.]</i>


    At first, I always thought that the Morticians were an alien species. But after careful consideration, I finally concluded that the Morticians were actually humans.[1]


    We humans are the race that has been fighting the weird world the longest.


    The Morticians once tried to fight the weird world. They abandoned emotion in favor of pure rationality, and these people were called the Wapeng people. But it turns out that pure rationality alone cannot defeat the weird world.


    So, the Morticians told me¡ªto maintain emotion. They regretted giving up emotional thinking."


    "Hmph, what use is knowing all this?" Dr. W said. "Make your decision quickly."


    Suddenly, Gu Yi felt a strong mental pressure, but he quickly countered this intense onught with psychological suggestion.


    The host couldn''t inflict too much damage on him within the dungeon, which is why Gu Yi dared to be so bold.


    "What''s the rush?" Gu Yi sneered. "Are you worried that I''ll unravel the entire truth and thus fulfill the conditions for a perfect clearance? Is that it?"


    "Who said I''m in a hurry?"


    "Alright, then let me ask you... Do you know the best way to solve the trolley problem?"


    "What?"


    "Eliminate the person who proposed the trolley problem!"


    Gu Yi clenched his fist, expending all his mental power, and conjured a ck orb in front of Dr. W. He roared and swung his right fist toward Dr. W.


    Dr. W''s eyes widened.


    Though there seemed to be nothing on Gu Yi''s fist, he felt a powerful force¡ªthis was a weird power that did not belong to the world of his dungeon.


    "What the hell?"


    <i>Bang!</i>


    Gu Yi''s fist hit Dr. W''s face, and a tide of void surged out, instantly swallowing Dr. W.


    The entire projection room crumbled.


    When Dr. W opened his eyes again, he found himself floating in the void.


    "Master?"


    Dr. W sensed the presence of God and quickly bowed his head in humility. He felt a splitting headache, as God was punishing him with divine power.


    "I''m sorry, it''s my fault... Next time... Next time I will seed! I will personally deliver Gu Yi to your presence!"


    Dr. W''s forehead broke out in cold sweat, unable to stand up for a long time.


    ...


    Gu Yi''s vision was filled with stars.


    When his vision finally cleared, he had left the world of the dungeon and arrived in the system''s settlement space.


    The system messages of his sessful clearance shed before his eyes, and the system''s voice rang out again.


    <i>"Congrattions adventurer, you have sessfully achieved a perfect level clearance."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration degree is £¤*%."</i>


    <i>"All weird events rted to the Wapeng High School will no longer appear in your reality."</i>


    <i>"Your mental power limit has increased, now 120/120."</i>


    <i>"Your skill [Psychological Suggestion] level has increased."</i>


    <i>New properties of [Psychological Suggestion]:</i>


    <i>1. You can use psychological suggestion on multiple people, but the effect diminishes with more people affected. Cost: 20 mental power, duration: 20 minutes, cooldown: 30 minutes.</i>


    <i>2. When you use psychological suggestion on yourself, there is no cooldown or cost.</i>


    Gu Yi scratched his head.


    When the system reported the plotpletion rate, it spat out a bunch of gibberish, probably because he had driven away the host with the power of the ck orb, causing a system error.


    This ck orb could deceive not only the host but also influence the system''s judgment.


    Gu Yi tried to summon the ck orb again, but his head throbbed with pain due to the overuse of mental power.


    Gu Yi guessed that this orb was a legacy left by the Wapeng people, a weapon specifically designed tobat the weird world. So far, Gu Yi had discovered three functions of the orb:


    1. Storage Space: The orb provides a storage space, and anything stored in this space is undetectable by characters in the dungeons.


    2. Shielding Mental Invasion: His mind could enter the orb to shield against mental invasion, and any damage taken while in the orb would bepletely healed upon exiting.


    3. Powerful Attack: The orb can store void energy and inflict damage on hosts or powerful enemies. However, using it against a host puts immense mental strain on him, causing dizziness and loss ofbat ability.


    Additionally, there were two things that Gu Yi couldn''t let go of:


    1. The safety of his family.


    2. The true nature of the Traveler Star people.


    While browsing the library''s books, Gu Yi noticed several special alien races mentioned, all of whom he had seen in the Dark Moon Circus. He suspected that Dark Moon was a Traveler Star person.


    Although Dark Moon lived in the weird world and had to obey some rules, he suspected that Dark Moon was always resisting the weird world in secret.


    It seems that Dark Moon is more than just a neutral camp; he could very well be considered part of the forces of good.


    "Adventurer, you have been granted a seven-day rest period. Would you like to return to the real world now?"


    "Yes, I want to go back now."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    ...


    In the real world.


    Darkness gradually spread across the sky above the Dragon Country.


    People gazed at the dark cloud on the horizon, praying, as that seemed to be their only option.


    "We will seed."


    "We won''t lose."


    "Trust in Gu Yi, trust in the Dragon Country''s strategy team."


    "Screw trust, it''s the end of the world! I''ll do whatever I want!"


    Amidst the prayers, a crazed voice disrupted the atmosphere.


    Everyone saw a man strip off his clothes, standing on top of a car, shouting wildly. Several police officers climbed onto the car, clumsily pulling him down.


    "Ah, what are you doing? It''s the freaking end of the world, and you cops are still acting tough?"


    "End of the world? Even your death wouldn''t cause that!"


    "Idiots, all of you ignorant fools, you..."


    Before the man could finish his sentence, the darkness at the edge of the sky suddenly vanished in an instant. He craned his neck to look at the sky and shut his mouth.


    "See," the police officer said with a smile, "it''s not the end of the world, is it?"


    "Um... could I... get some pants?"


    "Now you''re embarrassed? Fool."


    "You''re under suspicion of causing a disturbance. Come with us to the police station for a chat."


    The police dragged the crazed man away.


    The people on the streets cheered and joyously shouted Gu Yi''s name.


    ...


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of the site of the strategy team''s base. A group of burly men from the Bear Country saw Gu Yi and ran towards him.


    Startled, he stepped back, muttering with a twitch of his mouth, "Damn it, why did they teleport me abroad?"

 Chapter 159: The Missing Fool Card

    <h4>Chapter 159: The Missing Fool Card</h4>


    "Are you Gu Yi?"


    Ivan, the representative from the Bear Country, approached andmunicated with Gu Yi in proficient Chinese.


    Gu Yi wiped the sweat from his palms and managed a smile, "Hello, I am Gu Yi... What''s happening here?"


    "The situation is quiteplex, and I can''t exin it all at once. All I can tell you is that the base of the strategy team has suddenly disappeared, and we are currently unable to bring it back."


    "How is that possible?"


    "Anyway, we can only wait here. Maybe they will suddenly return one day," Ivan said. "Until the Dragon Country''s strategy team returns, we will protect you."


    "Forget it, I don''t need your protection. Doesn''t the Dragon Country have even one agent?"


    "Only a few field agents are left now."


    As soon as Gu Yi finished speaking, Old Zhai, pushing Ah Jian''s wheelchair, arrived in front of Gu Yi.


    Overwhelmed with emotion, Old Zhai identally let go of the wheelchair.


    "Whoa!"


    Ah Jian yelled as he tumbled out of the wheelchair.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    A loud noise reverberated, and the ground shook three times.


    "Brother, how did you end up like this?" Gu Yi was startled and hurriedly helped Ah Jian up. "Was such a loud noise caused by your fall?"


    "Damn it, it wasn''t me!" Ah Jian excitedly grabbed Gu Yi''s arm. "Help me up quickly; it must be the team leader and the others returning."


    Gu Yi helped Ah Jian back into his wheelchair, curiously looking towards the distant barricade.


    In less than five minutes, the Bear Country''s agents had removed the barricade, and the base building of the strategy team reappeared in front of Gu Yi and the others.


    Gu Yi stood rooted to the spot, his legs stiff, unable to take a step for a long time.


    His family stood not far away, smiling and waving at him.


    "Mom, Dad, I''m back."


    ...


    "...So, that''s how we escaped."


    In the meeting room, Qu Kangping detailed his entire experience at the Dark Moon Circus, but he deliberately altered the method of getting there.


    "So... you were taken to the circus by the host?"


    "That''s right."


    "Can we really trust a ce like the Dark Moon Circus?"


    "For now, it seems we can," Qu Kangping said. "However, since they live in the weird world, they too have to follow certain rules. Whenmunicating with them, be careful not to break these rules."


    Qu Kangping calmly interacted with the agents from the Bear Country.


    During his interactions with Dark Moon, Qu Kangping learned about the unique powers of Tarot cards. There are a total of 22 Tarot cards, each with different effects.


    The Fool card is the most special one in the Tarot deck.


    Legend has it that it has one unique function: it can continuously generate the other 21 Tarot cards.


    After learning about the function of The Fool card, Qu Kangping immediately searched the entire base for Tarot cards but found no clues.


    Such an important card would surely not be carelessly lost by Jin Xin. This suggests that someone in the base must have secretly taken The Fool card!


    Jin Xin was still being held captive by them, and the only people who had contact with him were himself, Ah Jian, and Gu Yi. Now that he had returned to the real world, his first task was to investigate Ah Jian and Gu Yi.


    Although both of them are of upright character, no one can guarantee that they would remain true to themselves under the temptation of immense power.


    As the leader of the Dragon Country''s strategy team, Qu Kangping had to remain vignt. Dangerous weird items should not be easily entrusted to any single individual.


    Because they might corrupt the human mind, gradually drawing them to side with the weird world.


    "By the way, Brother Ivan, I''d like to borrow a device from you."


    "What kind of device?"


    "All of our devices were damaged in the fight against the weird powers, and now we need to borrow a Kant Counter from you."


    "What do you need that for?"


    ...


    In theboratory, Qu Kangping got a Kant Counter, which looked like a temperature gun. Its function is to test the Hume Index of an object.


    The higher the Hume Index, the stronger the weird power of the object.


    If someone in the base was secretly harboring weird items, the Kant Counter would surely detect them.


    "Ah Jian,e here for a moment."


    "Ah?"


    "I need to give you a quick check-up."


    "Didn''t I just have one recently?"


    Ah Jian wheeled himself over to Qu Kangping.


    Qu Kangping waved the counter over Ah Jian, and the reading showed 37, which was within the normal range.


    "Where''s Gu Yi?"


    "He''s still talking with his family."


    "Let''s wait at the door for a while."


    "Okay."


    Ah Jian was about to follow, but Qu Kangping stopped him. "You stay here, don¡¯t move. I''ve approved a month''s leave for you."


    "I...can do some clerical work in the base."


    "Don''t argue."


    Qu Kangping, holding the counter, stood at the entrance of the dormitory.


    After a while, Gu Yi finally came out of the room.


    Their eyes met.


    "Team leader, is there something you need?"


    "Yes." Qu Kangping smiled. "You did very wellst time."


    "Heh..."


    "What''s this about a dual talent? How did you unlock it?"


    Gu Yi''s eyes flickered, seemingly surprised by the ck orb''s powerful ability to distort perception. It wasn''t just the host and NPCs who couldn''t detect it; even people in the real world seemed oblivious to it.


    "I don''t know, maybe I''m just exceptionally talented."


    "Oh..." Qu Kangping nodded. "By the way, I need to give you a check-up. Can youe with me?"


    "A check-up?"


    "It''s a part of our unit''s benefits."


    "I see... Do I need to provide a urine sample?"


    "Uh... no, that''s not necessary."


    "Then let me use the bathroom first, okay?"


    "Sure, I''ll wait here for you."


    Qu Kangping followed Gu Yi to the bathroom door, then hesitated.


    <i>¡ªThest time Gu Yi interrogated Jin Xin, he also rushed to the bathroom. Could he have hidden the card in there?</i>


    Thinking this, Qu Kangping quickly took out the counter and aimed it at the bathroom door.


    The reading: 37.


    Perfectly normal.


    <i>Click¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi stepped out of the bathroom, looking curiously at Qu Kangping, "Team leader, are you taking the door''s temperature with that temperature gun?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing, I''m just practicing my aim," Qu Kangping said with augh. "Let''s go for the check-up and then get some rest. Tomorrow, I''ll take you to the shooting range to try out some guns."


    "Uh... I''m not really into guns."


    "Come on, think of it as a way to rx. You don''t actually have to learn anything. Let''s go for the check-up."


    "Alright then."


    Qu Kangping watched Gu Yi''s retreating back, finally breathing a sigh of relief.


    ...


    At night.


    Gu Yiy alone in his dormitory room.


    Ah Jian, due to his injuries, had gone home to recover, leaving Gu Yi by himself in the room. He covered his head with the nket and opened his right hand.


    The palm of Gu Yi''s right hand began to feel warm.


    The ck orb had somehow been brought back to the real world with him. It had not only distorted everyone''s perception but had even deceived the instruments.


    However, its power was still limited in the real world.


    The storage space of the orb was now only about the size of a basketball.


    Gu Yi looked into the center of the orb.


    A Tarot cardy quietly within it.


    The card depicted a young man standing on the edge of a cliff, singing joyfully, with a small dog at his side as if warning the young man of the danger ahead. Written at the bottom of the card in English was "The-Fool."


    When Gu Yi first stole this card from Jin Xin, the face of the young man on the card resembled Jin Xin''s.


    But now...


    The face on the card had transformed into his own.

 Chapter 160: Return from the Shooting Range

    <h4>Chapter 160: Return from the Shooting Range</h4>


    The next day.


    At the riverside outside the shooting range, a group of agents was leisurely fishing.


    Gu Yi looked at the tranquil scene and couldn''t help but ask, "Are we doing a team fishing contest?"


    "Oh, didn''t I tell you before? Fishing can help train mental strength."


    "Then can I go fishing too?"


    "Please, don''t," Qu Kangping quickly grabbed Gu Yi''s arm. "If you start fishing, will there be any fish left for others?"


    "Ah, I see..." Gu Yi raised an eyebrow. "By the way, how''s Jin Xin doing?"


    "He was sent to the Imperial Capital Prison on the day we returned to the real world.


    That prison was designed by Professor Scranton. All criminals with weird powers are held there. No one can escape from it, and no weird power can prate it.


    Now he''spletely inactive. As you guessed, if he doesn''t return to the weird world within seven days, he will die for breaking the rules."


    "Die? If only it were that easy for him to die."


    Gu Yi shook his head and followed Qu Kangping to the shooting range.


    There weren''t many people at the range.


    Only Old Zhai and two other agents were practicing shooting.


    "Old Zhai, get me two guns."


    "Yes, team leader."


    Qu Kangping took a handgun and began to exin while disassembling it, "The first step in learning shooting is to learn how to load and unload a firearm and understand its mechanism. Let me demonstrate for you."


    <i>Click-click¡ª</i>


    Before he finished speaking, Gu Yi had already adeptly disassembled and reassembled a handgun.


    Qu Kangping''s mouth twitched slightly, "You''re pretending to be a novice again, aren''t you?"


    "Team leader, what does ''pretending to be a novice'' really mean?"


    "Have you handled guns before?"


    "No," Gu Yi shrugged. "But it doesn''t seem that difficult. Can''t everyone learn it after watching once?"


    Qu Kangping and Old Zhai coughed awkwardly at the same time.


    "Let''s not talk about that," Qu Kangping said, lifting the handgun and standing at the shooting point. "Stand facing the target, with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, and turn your toes inward a bit. Keep your chest concave and shoulders rxed to lower your center of gravity. Finally, extend your arms naturally."


    Qu Kangping exined and demonstrated the stance and movements.


    "Align the three points, then pull the trigger."


    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>


    Old Zhai checked the target: one shot in the ten-ring, two in the nine-ring. "Team leader, your shooting is excellent!"


    Qu Kangping whistled and nodded at Gu Yi, "Your turn."


    "Oh."


    Gu Yi nodded, awkwardly mimicking Qu Kangping''s posture, raised the handgun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.


    "Huh? Why isn''t it firing?"


    "Hey, don''t point the gun at yourself or a teammate," Qu Kangping hurried over. "You forgot to disengage the safety."


    "Ah, I see."


    Gu Yi lifted the handgun again.


    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>


    Gu Yi emptied the magazine in quick session.


    Old Zhai squinted at the target and said leisurely, "Not bad."


    "How many points?"


    "Ten."


    "All ten points?"


    "Only one shot hit the ten-ring, the rest missed the target."


    "Shooting is hard." Gu Yi shrugged and ced the handgun on the table. "I''m done, it''s not fun. Can you take me somewhere else?"


    Qu Kangping''s anxious heart finally settled¡ªthis oddball finally showed something he wasn''t good at.


    "Ah, don''t worry about it. Sharpshooters are made with practice. If you train diligently, one day you''ll be like me."


    "Really?"


    "Yes," Qu Kangping said with a smile. "Since you don''t want to continue, I''ll take you to try other activities. Rest well for the next two days, you have a ceremony to attend the day after."


    "Ceremony? What ceremony?"


    "Your award ceremony."


    "Me?"


    "Yes, the Head just sent a message." Qu Kangping raised his phone, proudly shaking it. "He wants to award you for your heroic act of saving humanity."


    "Uh... Can I skip it?"


    "Hahaha... Look at you!"


    Qu Kangping, while talking, led Gu Yi out of the shooting range.


    An agent pressed a button, bringing Gu Yi''s target forward. There was only one bullet hole on the entire target, but it was exceptionally deep.


    Suddenly, he had a strange premonition, quickly took down the target, and examined it closely.


    Inside the bullet hole, seven or eight bullets were stacked, each nestled into the rear of the one before it.


    Gu Yi hadn''t missed the target; he had hit the exact same spot with every shot!


    "Isn''t this something straight out of a movie or a novel?"


    ...


    The air was tinged with the scent of blood.


    Gu Yi walked through a dark alley, pulling out a lighter from his pocket. His fingers were unresponsive, struggling to light it.


    <i>Click¡ª</i>


    The lighter slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.


    As he picked up the lighter, he realized his chest had been pierced from behind.


    Turning around, he saw a figure entirely cloaked in ck standing behind him, holding a knife in one hand and a human head in the other.


    And that head...


    Was his own!


    ...


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi suddenly opened his eyes, shouting aloud.


    Qu Kangping, lighting a cigarette, looked at Gu Yi with confusion. "What''s wrong with you?"


    "Nightmare."


    "You didn''t have another prophetic dream, did you?"


    "No."


    Gu Yi gave a wry smile and looked out the window.


    Outside was the bustling street of the capital city, with people bustling about and traffic flowing endlessly.


    "It''s good to be alive."


    "They can live so happily, all thanks to you."


    "No, thanks to all of us." Gu Yi said with a smile. "To defeat the weird world, we can''t just rely on one person. Only when all of humanity stands united and fights together can we ovee it."


    "That''s true, but..."


    Qu Kangping sighed in resignation upon hearing Gu Yi''s words.


    This recent dungeon exposed many problems in the real world. The fanatical organizations had deeply infiltrated various parts of the Dragon Country, shifting from their initial overt and crazy actions to more secretive and sinister ones.


    Just the issue with the barrage bots alone had given the strategy team and the public security departments a lot of headaches.


    The fanatics who developed the barrage bots had fled abroad and were only captured within the borders of the Lighthouse Country the day before yesterday.


    "Can you tell me what you dreamed about just now?"


    "It''s nothing..." Gu Yi waved his hand dismissively. "Just a very ordinary nightmare."


    Qu Kangping frowned but didn''t press further.


    The car rounded the National Grand Hall and continued along the road.


    Gu Yi, craning his neck, asked in confusion, "Team leader, aren''t we going to the National Grand Hall?"


    "Why would we go there?" Qu Kangping took a drag of his cigarette. "We are heading to the Imperial Capital International Hotel."


    "I always thought the award ceremony would be held at the National Grand Hall. I didn''t expect it to be at the Imperial Capital International Hotel." Gu Yi propped his chin, asking, "Is it because I''m not qualified enough to enter the National Grand Hall?"


    "It''s said that there are too many dignitaries attending this time, and the Grand Hall can''t amodate everyone, so the International Hotel was chosen instead."


    "Foreign dignitaries areing too?" Gu Yi was momentarily taken aback.


    "Of course, this is your moment of glory."


    Gu Yi''s brow furrowed.


    <i>The choice of location for the ceremony was indeed strange. Why had nobody noticed? Why would such an important and solemn event be held at an international hotel instead of the National Grand Hall, which could amodate a thousand people?</i>


    <i>If Qu Kangping doesn''t find it odd...</i>


    <i>Then it might mean they were already under the influence of some weird power. His recent nightmare could be the strongest evidence of that.</i>


    <i>Moreover, it seemed like the enemy had invested heavily this time. How could it be that none of the dignitaries from so many countries noticed anything unusual?</i>


    "Gu Yi, are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Gu Yi gave Qu Kangping a smile. "Let''s keep going."

 Chapter 161: The Misfit

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Misfit</h4>


    The convoy quickly arrived at the Imperial Capital International Hotel.


    Today, all the key members of the strategy team followed the convoy to the Imperial Capital International Hotel to participate in Gu Yi''s award ceremony.


    The strategy team and the hotel''s Public Security were responsible for the security of the event. Even Ah Jian, who had just recovered from a serious illness, followed the team with his ster.


    This was the first time Gu Yi wore a suit in his life, and no matter where he went, he kept loosening his tie.


    Qu Kangping, the leader of the strategy team, despite not liking social asions, still smiled and shook hands with leaders at all levels.


    Gu Yi, extremely socially anxious, had to follow behind Ah Jian, pushing the wheelchair. His gaze constantly swept through the crowd, as he had to find the mastermind hidden among them.


    "Brother Ah Jian."


    "What''s up?"


    "When will the ceremony end?"


    "It hasn''t even started yet, and you''re thinking about it ending already?"


    "No, it''s just that this suit is too ufortable." Gu Yi said after a moment of silence, "It''s chafing, really ufortable."


    Hearing this, Ah Jian rolled his eyes.


    At this moment, Qu Kangping approached Gu Yi with a middle-aged man. Gu Yi quickly lowered his head to pretend not to see.


    "This is Gu Yi."


    "Oh, a hero from the youth. You look more handsome than in the videos, but why are you in a wheelchair? Are you injured?"


    "Uh... President." Ah Jian awkwardly said, "I''m not Gu Yi, the person behind me is Gu Yi."


    President Wang He raised his head and looked toward Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi, feeling the awkwardness of the situation and unable to avoid it, finally lifted his head. He strained to pull the corners of his mouth into a simple smile.


    "Hello, Mr. President..."


    "No need to be so formal," Wang He extended his hand. "You are the people''s hero."


    "Ah, really."


    Qu Kangping approached Gu Yi and whispered frustratedly, "Idiot, shake his hand."


    Gu Yi extended his right hand.


    "Dummy, use both hands."


    Gu Yi then extended his left hand too.


    Wang Heughed heartily and also extended both his hands to shake Gu Yi''s. "I told you, there''s no need to be so tense."


    "Hehe, I''m not nervous, really not nervous."


    "Okay, good kid."


    Gu Yi withdrew his hands, pondering where to ce them, and finally rested them on the armrest of Ah Jian''s wheelchair.


    "It must be tough for you?"


    "Not tough."


    "Hmm, you''re a good kid," Wang He said with narrowed eyes. "I heard your family is still recuperating?"


    "They slept too long in the Scranton Stability Anchor and are a bit mentally fatigued, but they should recover soon."


    "That''s good. Do you have any wishes?"


    "Wishes?" Gu Yi paused. "To make the weird world disappear?"


    Everyoneughed at this, except Gu Yi, who didn''t understand what was amusing.


    Wang He stroked his chin, smiling. "That''s a wish for all humanity. What I meant was, what can I do for you?"


    "Lower the housing prices."


    "Uh... Let''s talk about defeating the weird world instead."


    Everyoneughed even harder.


    More and more leaders approached, some whose names Gu Yi knew, and others he didn''t. In such a serious setting, Gu Yi felt even more pressured. He would rather face three more challenges in the weird world than interact with these people.


    "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."


    Gu Yi touched his head and excused himself under the pretext of needing to urinate.


    The restroom was right next to the hall.


    Entering the restroom, Gu Yi opened a stall, took off his pants, and adjusted the position of his underwear and trouser crotch.


    "This tailor''s skills are really terrible."


    He had been feeling ufortable all morning. There were too many people earlier, and it wasn''t appropriate for Gu Yi to adjust himself. Only now did he manage to getfortable. Sitting on the toilet, he carefully pondered and recalled the appearances of all the guests, trying to find the one who stood out the least.


    Thinking it over, it seemed like he was the one who didn''t fit in.


    The sound of running water came from outside.


    Since Gu Yi had entered the stall, the sound of water hadn''t stopped. He wondered who had forgotten to turn off the tap after washing their hands.


    He opened the stall door to look.


    A man of average height stood by the sink, incessantly washing his hands. The foam had filled the entire basin, and it was only when his fingertips were washed raw that he stopped.


    The man took out seven or eight tissues, repeatedly wiping his palms until he had used up thest few.


    Mysophobia.


    And a particrly severe case at that.


    Gu Yi didn''t think twice beforebeling the man.


    The man walked to the bathroom door, hands in his pockets, refusing to touch the doorknob. Instead, he turned back to nce at Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi pursed his lips, casually flushed the toilet, and walked over.


    Once Gu Yi opened the bathroom door, the man followed him out.


    "Thanks."


    The man left these words and walked away.


    Gu Yi watched the man''s retreating figure, silently following behind him.


    The man looked back at Gu Yi. Dropping his pretense, Gu Yi walked up beside the man, "Hello, I''m Gu Yi."


    "Yes, I know you," the man smiled. "My name is Love."


    Love''s ent was very strange.


    "You''re not from Dragon Country?"


    "I''m mixed. My mom is from Dragon Country, and my dad is from Lighthouse Country."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi noticed for the first time that the man''s eyes were brown, and his hair was somewhat curly. But his face and figure were indistinguishable from a Dragon Country native.


    "It seems your mother''s genes are stronger. I wouldn''t have realized you had foreign ancestry if you hadn''t told me."


    "Hehe, thank you."


    "What are you doing here?"


    "What else?" Love said. "I came to attend your award ceremony."


    "Oh."


    After speaking, Love nodded in farewell and returned to his family.


    Gu Yi touched his chin, thinking that this guy seemed even more socially anxious than himself.


    "Gu Yi, there you are!" Qu Kangping jogged over. "Where did you go just now?"


    "Didn''t I say I was going to the restroom?"


    "Come quickly."


    Qu Kangping led Gu Yi to the grand hall of the hotel, surrounded by famous and unnamed tycoons and world dignitaries.


    The Imperial Capital International Hotel is andmark building in Dragon Country and the only hotel designated for hosting foreign guests.


    The building is 117 meters tall, with 40 floors.


    Today''s award ceremony for Gu Yi was being held in the auditorium on the top floor.


    Gu Yi looked around, feeling uneasy. A sense of foreboding once again surged in his heart.


    "Now, please wee our hero of humanity, Gu Yi, to the stage."


    The host walked onto the stage, holding a microphone, calling out Gu Yi''s name with a smile.


    Then came thunderous apuse.


    Despite his reluctance, Gu Yi had to go on stage.


    The host handed the microphone to Gu Yi, "Hero, do you have anything you''d like to say to everyone?"


    Looking at the sea of people below, he felt his palms sweat and his throat tighten, struggling to speak.


    "Um... I..."


    Suddenly, a man stood up from the audience. He pulled out a handgun from his pocket and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out.


    Gu Yi didn''t feel anything at first, not until two secondster when a warm sensation spread across his chest.


    Then, intense pain followed.


    Blood instantly soaked his white shirt. Gu Yi coughed twice, his legs gave out, and he copsed to the ground.


    Before his eyes...


    Everything was a blur of red.

 Chapter 162: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (1)

    <h4>Chapter 162: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (1)</h4>


    "Ah!"


    Gu Yi screamed, clutching his chest.


    Qu Kangping and Ah Jian were both startled, looking at Gu Yi with surprise.


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    "Having another nightmare?"


    Gu Yi ignored them, his gaze swiftly scanning the audience. The feeling he had just experienced was not a dream¡ªit was the activation of his talent without his realization!


    As he had suspected, this award ceremony was a trap.


    Dr. W''s abilities differed from Jin Xin''s.


    Jin Xin''s power involved foreseeing the future and spatial leaps, which required the use of his tarot cards to achieve.


    Dr. W, on the other hand, had mind control abilities. He could subtly alter human cognition, creating psychological pressure that ultimately led to suicide or the gradual loss of a person''s humanity.


    Qu Kangping and others had overlooked the obvious danger, casually attending the ceremony, which was undoubtedly Dr. W''s doing.


    "Begin Deduction!"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, trying to actively use his talent. Sweat broke out on his forehead, but he couldn''t recapture that previous sensation.


    "Now, please wee our hero of humanity, Gu Yi, to the stage."


    The host walked onto the stage, holding a microphone, calling out Gu Yi''s name with a smile.


    Then came thunderous apuse.


    Everyone eagerly turned their attention to Gu Yi.


    Qu Kangping, puzzled, looked at Gu Yi and nudged his arm gently. "Hey, they''re calling your name."


    "No." Gu Yi stated firmly. "There''s an assassin hidden in the crowd."


    "How is that possible? We''re in charge of security, there won''t be any idents."


    "Damn it..."


    Gu Yi cursed under his breath.


    The cognitive lock of Dr. W was still in effect; everyone was still unaware, making it impossible to rely on them for help.


    Now, he had to rely on himself.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, ignoring the apuse around him, and began to think as if there was no one else around.


    The enemy went to great lengths, deceiving so many international dignitaries, so undoubtedly they would have also paid a high price.


    If their goal was merely to kill him or all the dignitaries, it would be far too extravagant.


    Killing them might cause some trouble to humans, but it wouldn''t be a catastrophic blow. However, the fanatics involved today would certainly face certain death, and their moles hidden within human organizations would inevitably be exposed.


    Such an operation would be a loss rather than a gain.


    So what exactly were they after?


    Gu Yi''s palm suddenly grew warm. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at the ck orb.


    The Fool card had now split into another deck of tarot cards, but the faces of these cards were still nk. Unless he used his mental power to guide them, they would not disy any weird powers.


    "So that''s it..."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    Not only did Dark Moon want the tarot cards, but Dr. W also coveted them. However, he probably didn''t know that the real Fool card was in Gu Yi''s possession, mistakenly believing it was still with Jin Xin.


    Jin Xin was detained in the Imperial Capital Prison, and a direct assault to retrieve him was impossible, as weird powers couldn''t prate it.


    However, by using global dignitaries as leverage, they could force the Dragon Country government to release Jin Xin.


    No!


    They didn''t even need to use this as a threat.


    The Imperial Capital International Hotel, standing over 100 meters tall, was easy to defend but hard to attack. If they caused enoughmotion here, the Imperial Capital''s anti-weird forces would surely converge on the hotel.


    With the defense of the Imperial Capital Prison weakened and troops unable to be redeployed, they only needed to send a team of powerful fanatics to rescue Jin Xin.


    Afterward, with Dr. W''s abilities, it would be easy for him to blend into the crowd of hostages and leave the crime scene.


    What happened to the expendable pawns didn''t matter to Dr. W.


    "Is this your n?"


    Qu Kangping and Ah Jian were confused, watching Gu Yi talking to himself.


    The audience also focused their attention on Gu Yi, puzzled.


    "Dr. W... Dr. W, where are you?" Gu Yi suddenly turned around, his gaze immediately locking onto Love.


    Love was indeed watching him. He smirked contemptuously and made a throat-slitting gesture towards Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi recalled every detail about Love.


    Every step Love took was of equal length, like clockwork precision. Obsessive cleanliness,pulsions, and a distinguished family background¡ªall fit Dr. W''s profile.


    Gu Yi leaped over the chair back, rushing towards Love recklessly.


    "I found you!"


    "Hmph!"


    Love scoffed and calmly left the venue through a side door.


    The hall erupted into chaos.


    Gu Yi''s mind raced. Instinctively, he ducked low and rolled forward.


    A bullet grazed his scalp.


    The enemy''s gunfire never ceased, but Gu Yi always narrowly dodged the bullets, escaping the venue like a slippery eel.


    "Everyone get down!"


    Qu Kangping shouted loudly. The next second, the host on stage was shot by a sniper, and blood instantly stained the snow-white walls.


    The cognitive lock was lifted at that moment.


    Remembering Gu Yi''s various warnings, Qu Kangping was filled with regret. "Damn it... why did I only realize this now?"


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please cooperate with us. We didn''te here to kill today."


    A waiter walked up to the podium, rolling up his sleeves to show a tattoo¡ªthe logo of the weird world.


    These waiters were fanatics of the weird world, and the entire international hotel had already been taken over by them.


    Bang Bang Bang!!!


    Gunshots echoed continuously.


    Everyone screamed andy on the ground, no longer daring to resist.


    In the chaos, Ah Jian fell to the ground, his ster shattering into pieces. Qu Kangping carried him on his shoulder, hiding behind a chair.


    "Ah Jian, are you okay?"


    "I won''t die yet," Ah Jian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "What about the others?"


    "If these waiters dare to pull out guns, it means our security forces outside have been dealt with."


    "Where''s Gu Yi? I saw him running out just now."


    "Who knows what that kid is up to?"


    A waiter approached Qu Kangping from behind and pressed a gun against his head.


    "Qu Kangping?"


    "It''s not me, you''ve got the wrong guy."


    Bang!


    Without a second word, the waiter fired at a bystander.


    The bystander was shot in the shoulder, and their hot blood sshed across Qu Kangping''s face.


    "Same question, I don''t want to ask twice."


    "It''s me," Qu Kangping turned around, raising his hands, and said coldly, "You can shoot me, but don''t shoot others."


    "Oh, I will."


    The fanatic kicked Qu Kangping hard in the stomach.


    Qu Kangping gasped sharply, his features contorted in pain.


    The fanatic held Qu Kangping up and threw him onto the stage.


    In a short while, the fanatics had gathered all the notable dignitaries at the center of the stage. They were all pale and trembling.


    But faced with the dark muzzles of the criminals'' guns, they had no choice but toply with their demands.


    "Let''s start a live broadcast," the leader of the fanatics stepped forward, pulling out a phone and aiming it at the crowd. "Dear all, wee to my live broadcast. If you like it, don''t forget to follow!"

 Chapter 163: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (2)

    <h4>Chapter 163: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (2)</h4>


    The fanatic''s live broadcast appeared on the screens of millions of smartphones.


    The camera focused on all the hostages, as the fanatics took out ropes to tie up everyone''s hands and feet.


    In less than three minutes, a fleet of police cars appeared outside the International Hotel.


    Hu Chang, with a grim expression, spoke through a megaphone, "Those inside, release the hostages immediately..."


    Bang!


    A sniper rifle shot rang out.


    Hu Chang was hit in the chest and fell to the ground, motionless.


    Screams erupted from the crowd in the street.


    The fanatic holding the phoneughed loudly, live-streaming the scene of the police chief being shot. The emotion of fear spread like a gue among the crowd.


    "Alright, dear police officers, your firepower is no match for us," the fanatic spoke into the camera. "We not only possess powerful weird abilities but also heavy armaments. Even special forces can''t defeat us."


    The live chat was filled with curses, but seeing the viewers'' reactions only excited the fanatics more.


    "Killing the police chief is just the appetizer. There''s more exciting contenting up."


    The camera turned to the dignitaries on stage.


    "Now, let''s y a lucky draw. Whoever gets picked will go bungee jumping. How does that sound? Turtle,e here!"


    "Coming, boss."


    A hunchbacked dwarf scurried over and stood beside the leader.


    "You alle here, form a circle."


    The hostages hesitantly stood up and formed a circle around Turtle.


    The leader patted Turtle, smiling. "Lie down."


    "Alright."


    Turtley on the ground, naturally pointing his toes upward, like a spoon on the floor.


    "Now, whoever Turtle''s feet point at will go bungee jumping."


    The leader kicked Turtle, who started spinning like a top.


    After a short while, Turtle stopped between two people, pointing at neither. The man nearby, with a quick nce, forcefully bumped into the woman next to him, positioning her directly in line with Turtle''s toes.


    "No, it''s not me, someone pushed me!"


    The woman''s face turned pale as she shook her head vehemently. Her legs gave way, and she knelt, pleading with the fanatics.


    The leader revealed a smile, his gaze sharply fixed on the man who had made the move. He rushed over and grabbed the man''s ear.


    "Ouch, ouch, ouch, mercy, please!"


    "What''s your name?"


    "I... I am Qin Yongjun."


    "Oh, I know you, Half of the city''s lord Qin, the real estate developer, right?"


    "Yes, I''m very wealthy." Qin Yongjun forced a smile. "I can give you money, a lot of it, enough for two lifetimes. Just spare me, I''ll agree to anything."


    "Really?"


    "Really, truly!"


    "Then can you make housing prices go down?"


    "Yes, yes, of course!"


    "Pfft, I don''t believe a word from you developers, not even a punctuation mark!"


    The leader, still holding Qin Yongjun''s ear, dragged him to the window. He opened it and without further ado, threw Qin Yongjun out.


    "Aaah¡ª"


    The scream echoed between the tall buildings.


    Qin Yongjun hit the ground, turning into a mangled mess.


    The leader, holding his phone, filmed all the hostages and cheerfully said:


    "Listen up, people of Dragon Country, we don''t want to kill anyone. Our only demand is this: immediately release Jin Xin and hand him over to us. As soon as we take Jin Xin, we will release all the hostages.


    Please fulfill our demand as soon as possible.


    If we don''t see Jin Xin in half an hour, we will kill a hostage every five minutes. We mean what we say!"


    ...


    Gu Yi rushed out of the venue, while Love strolled in the middle of the road as if walking in his own backyard.


    "Stop!" Gu Yi reached the corner and spotted two agents from the strategy team. "Catch him, he''s the mastermind!"


    The agents rushed forward, quickly drawing their guns.


    "Shh¡ª"


    Love made a silencing gesture, his eyes turning pitch ck.


    The agents'' legs buckled, and they involuntarily raised their guns to their temples and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    Blood stained the creamy white wall tiles.


    Gu Yi''s eyes widened in shock, his fists clenched.


    Love turned around, his ck eyes fixed on Gu Yi.


    "Gu Yi, you''ve surprised me again. I didn''t expect you to be immune to my mental attacks in the real world. If my master hadn''t stressed repeatedly not to kill you, I would have made you my collectible. No wonder the master values you so much."


    "Go to hell!"


    Gu Yi swung his fist at Love.


    Love sneered disdainfully and caught Gu Yi''s wrist with one hand.


    At that moment, a group of fanatics disguised as waiters appeared and quickly subdued Gu Yi.


    The dark muzzles of their guns pressed against Gu Yi''s head, causing a tingling sensation.


    "Gu Yi, I advise you not to make any sudden moves," Love said. "Bullets are indiscriminate, and it would be a shame if you got hurt. Life is precious, and you shouldn''t die in a ce like this."


    "You''re a bastard!"


    "Indeed, so what? You''re now the captive of this bastard," Loveughed. "Tie him up."


    The fanatics approached, handcuffing Gu Yi''s arms behind his back and then tightly binding them with rope. Gu Yi struggled but found that the more he moved, the tighter the rope became.


    "Stop struggling. This knot is used for tying bulls. Do you think you''re stronger than a bull?"


    "Hmph."


    Gu Yi let out a coldugh.


    The fanatics led Gu Yi to the adjacent conference hall.


    Qu Kangping looked up and saw Gu Yi unharmed; he didn''t know whether to feel happy or sad.


    Love looked around and pointed to a corner, "Don''t let Gu Yi stay with those people. Hang him from the ceiling."


    "Yes!"


    The fanatics dragged Gu Yi and hung him from the railing on the second floor of the auditorium hall.


    Gu Yi''s feet dangled in the air, his entire weight concentrated on his waist, making it nearly impossible for him to breathe.


    "Hey, you''re going to hang me to death like this."


    "Shut up."


    The fanatic red at Gu Yi and turned back to the entrance of the conference hall.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes, attempting once again to activate his talent. Fragmented images appeared in his mind, but he still couldn''t smoothly use his talent. He refocused his attention on the ck orb in the palm of his right hand, whose power was still essible.


    Suspended from the ceiling, Gu Yi was unable to freely observe the entire hall.


    How many enemies were there?


    What was their strength?


    What was the distribution of their forces?


    Currently, he was in the dark about these details.


    The entire building was nowpletely under enemy control. Gu Yi looked out the window.


    The sound of helicopters approached from the sky, signaling the arrival of the military.


    However, before the helicopters could reach the building, the fanatics used rocketunchers to blow them out of the sky. Even from a distance, Gu Yi could clearly see the aircraft turning into a fireball in the sky.

 Chapter 164: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (3)

    <h4>Chapter 164: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (3)</h4>


    The sound of helicopters approached from the sky, indicating that the military had arrived.


    However, before the helicopters could reach the building, the fanatics used rocketunchers to blow them up. Even from afar, Gu Yi could clearly see the aircraft turn into a fireball in the sky.


    Love walked to the window, took over the live-broadcasting phone, and smilingly said to the camera:


    "Listen up, people of Dragon Country, you cannot win against us. Within a ten-mile radius of the International Hotel, I don''t want to see any flying object, not even a pigeon. If anything flies near us, I won''t hesitate to shoot it down.


    Five minutes have already passed. If in another twenty-five minutes, Jin Xin is not brought to us, I will start killing. I don''t want to repeat myself."


    After speaking, Love continued to lean against the window, observing the scenery outside.


    Less than a minuteter, the live-brodcasting phone received a call. Love answered it with a sneer.


    "Hello, I''m Love."


    "Hello, I''m Guan Hong, the Vice President of Dragon Country. I''m here to negotiate with you."


    "Oh, we don''t have much to negotiate about. There are only twenty-four minutes left. If I don''t see Jin Xin, I will start killing."


    "Mr. Love, as you know, Jin Xin is currently in the Imperial Capital Prison. To resist the invasion of bizarre forces, the prison has very strict security measures. To extract him from there requires aplex procedure. Thirty minutes is not enough to get him out. Can you extend the deadline a bit?"


    "That''s your problem, not mine."


    "Mr. Love, we are really here with sincerity."


    "I don''t believe a word from you politicians, not even as much as I would from a real estate developer," Love said, ncing at his watch. "Another minute has passed, and all the time you''re wasting is on your nonsense. If any hostages die... it would be because of you."


    Love hung up the phone and looked down at the street.


    The anti-weird force had gathered below, but their numbers were still insufficient. Love needed to intensify his actions topletely drain the defense forces of the Imperial Capital.


    He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the distribution of the troops.


    Now, three groups of snipers were ready on the two adjacent buildings. Love sneered and poked his head out of the window.


    "Captain, the target has stuck his head out of the window."


    "Don''t act rashly, observe the situation inside the building first."


    "Okay... now..."


    The sniper''s words got stuck in his throat. A blood-red eye blocked his view through the scope, making it impossible to see clearly. Panicked, he dropped his rifle, only to find the blood-red eye floating in front of him.


    "Ah!"


    The sniper realized he was experiencing a hallucination. He pulled out a vial of medicine, but before he could drink it, his heart stopped beating.


    "Captain, Sniper One is down."


    "What? How did he die?"


    "Captain, I¡ªah¡ª"


    "Hey, hey, hey? Sniper Three, are you there?"


    In a matter of moments, all three snipers were down, before they could even manage to gather any useful intel¡ªthis enemy was far more formidable than any they had faced before!


    "Captain, should we borrow the core of the Demon Suppression Tower from the Imperial Capital Prison?"


    "No," the captain said. "If we take that, how will we suppress the criminals in the prison? Hurry up and get the Scranton Stability Anchors here, tell them to speed up."


    "They say it''ll take at least 15 minutes."


    The Demon Suppression Tower was a piece of anti-weird technology developed by Dragon Country, exerting a strong suppressive force on weird powers. It was based on the principles of the Scranton Stability Anchor. The power output of the Demon Suppression Tower was greater than that of the Scranton Stability Anchor, but it wasn''t as portable.


    To suppress the weird forces in an entire international hotel, at least fifty Scranton Stability Anchors were needed. However, with the Demon Suppression Tower, one would suffice.


    Gu Yi, suspended in mid-air, watched from a distance as Love and the criminals discussed tactics.


    It was easy for him to break free from the ropes, but doing so without being noticed by everyone was impossible.


    Now, Gu Yi''s only bet was that the tarot cards could help him.


    He closed his eyes and drew a card from the deck, turning his head to nce at it. It was The Magician: above the magician''s head was the symbol of infinity, his waist belt was a snake biting its own tail, his right hand held a wand towards the sky, and his left pointed to the ground, with the words "The-magician" written below.


    "What use is this?"


    As soon as he spoke, Gu Yi felt a sharp pain in his forehead as a flood of knowledge rushed into his mind.


    In his mental world, a huge book of magic appeared before his eyes, from which he could choose any spell.


    "Doppelganger."


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and silently cast the spell.


    He became transparent and jumped down from mid-air, leaving a doppelganger hanging in his ce. After casting the spell, Gu Yi felt as if his energy was drained, and even the ck orb temporarily entered a closed state. Without time to rest, he stealthily left the grand auditorium.


    Once out, he found the entire floor swarming with fanatics guarding every passage, leaving no space for escape, except for therge, unguarded ss windows.


    Gu Yi estimated that he had 1 minute left before his invisibility wore off.


    With no time to hesitate, his only option was to escape from outside the building.


    He approached the window and quietly opened it, unnoticed by the criminals.


    Gu Yi climbed onto the outside of the window, gripping its edges tightly. He was over 100 meters above the ground, where the wind was strong. Any small mistake could send him plummeting down.


    Taking a deep breath, he bravely began to climb down the side of the building.


    After struggling down one floor, his back was drenched in sweat, and the invisibility effect of the Doppelganger spell finally ended.


    "Hey, what''s that?"


    "Damn, why is that kid clinging to the wall?"


    The troops below raised their binocrs and saw the ''Spider-Man'' climbing down the building.


    When the ''Spider-Man'' slightly turned his head, everyone gasped in shock.


    "Damn, isn''t that Gu Yi?"


    "How did he escape?"


    "This is too dangerous!"


    The captain quickly approached and ordered, "Everyone stop looking at Gu Yi, act as if you didn''t see anything!"


    Hearing this, everyone immediately averted their eyes.


    Although they didn''t know how Gu Yi had managed to escape, if the criminals inside found out, he would undoubtedly be in grave danger. Their shouting and attention from below could only serve to expose Gu Yi''s movements and offer no help.


    Whoosh¡ª


    A gust of wind blew past.


    Gu Yi''s coat pped loudly in the wind, pulling him outward. His palms sweated, and his right hand slipped.


    Creak, creak!


    Gu Yi could hear the grating sound of his left hand''s finger bones.


    The soldiers below couldn''t help but nce at Gu Yi again. He was hanging onto the window ledge with one hand, looking like he could fall at any moment. Everyone held their breath, empathetically feeling as if they were the ones risking their lives on the exterior wall.

 Chapter 165: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (4)

    <h4>Chapter 165: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (4)</h4>


    "Phew, it''s nothing."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, his lips curving slightly upwards.


    Even in such a dangerous situation, his heartbeat remained steady - this level of danger was nothingpared to what he had faced in the weird world!


    Gu Yi raised his right hand, focusing all his spiritual energy there.


    The ck orb appeared again, and he pressed it against the exterior window ss. Instantly, the ss disappeared into the orb''s space. Swinging his body, Gu Yi smoothly entered the room below.


    "Sess!"


    The soldiers downstairs couldn''t help but clench their fists.


    Love suddenly felt something was amiss and returned to the window, looking downstairs.


    "What''s the matter, Doctor?"


    "Nothing." Love shook his head. "I just felt those people''s emotions surge, as if they''d won a lottery of five million."


    "Is it because the stability anchor is arriving?"


    "That shouldn''t cause such excitement, should it?"


    Love turned to nce at Gu Yi, who was still hanging mid-air, swaying like a salted fish.


    ...


    Gu Yi stood in the room, looking back at the shattered window ss, and gently patted his chest.


    He turned his head and looked around. This was a double standard room, clean and tidy, with a faint scent of orchids in the air.


    As early as a day before, the rooms of the International Hotel had been vacated, reserved only for international dignitaries.


    Gu Yi sat on the edge of the bed, his hand propping up the side, only then realizing his arms were trembling non-stop due to exhaustion.


    What was more fatal was that using weird powers in the real world came with a greater cost. He now had a headache as if he hadn''t slept for three days and nights. As long as someone gives him a pillow, he could sleep until tomorrow morning.


    However, Gu Yi had no time to rest. He had to find a way to protect everyone and thwart Dr. W''s n.


    Rummaging through the cab, Gu Yi found a packet of instant coffee and a tea bag.


    With no time to boil water, Gu Yi simply tore open the instant coffee and chewed it dry.


    After swallowing the coffee, he stuffed the tea bag into his mouth, brewing it with his saliva.


    <i>Gulp...</i>


    Gu Yi rested on the bed for a while and found himself feeling revitalized. Chewing the tea bag directly seemed even more vorful than brewing it. He decided to take out another bag of tea, tore the packaging, and chewed all the leaves.


    "Alright."


    After resting, Gu Yi looked at his watch.


    21 minutes had already passed, and in another 9 minutes, the fanatics would start ughtering the hostages.


    There were about twenty to thirty fanatics upstairs, each armed. With his current mental power, he could only use a Tarot card once more.


    His first task now was to find a way to rescue the hostages on the other floors and use their strength to fight against the fanatics.


    However, Gu Yi was hesitant to rescue the agents from the strategy group.


    In his numerous dreams, he had been killed from behind multiple times, which he interpreted as a symbol of betrayal. The fact that Dr. W could deceive so many dignitaries indicated that his suspicions were not unfounded.


    He secretly kept the Tarot cards to himself, not wanting to inform the mole in the strategy group. Until he could confirm the identity of the mole, Gu Yi dared not trust any agent.


    "Let''s see what surprise you can bring me."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and once again drew a Tarot card from the ck orb.


    The card depicted a door of sess, with the goddess of sess standing in the middle, waiting with a smile. The word "The-World" was written in English at the bottom of the card.


    "<i>Hisss -</i> such an invincible card?"


    Holding The World card, Gu Yi suddenly felt his soul leave his body.


    Immediately, the dynamics of everything within a ten-mile radius entered his mind, even the hiding spots of rats and cockroaches in the building. It felt like having a full-map vision hack in a game.


    As his soul returned to his body, he now could detach his soul at any time to observe the entire building. With his current mental power, he could maintain the effect of the Tarot card for about half an hour.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes and discovered that in the presidential suite located at the southeast corner, a group of hostages, mostly family members of dignitaries, were hidden. Among them, a few physically robust individuals were given special attention by the fanatics, with their hands and feet bound.


    There were only four fanatics on this floor.


    Two of the fanatics were guarding the door, and the other two were inside the room. Each of them was wearing a headset, periodicallymunicating with each other.


    "Sigh..."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and nned a stealth route in his mind, while also recalling his experiences in the weird world.


    In the previous world, Gu Yi had yed the role of a soldier. The knowledge and skills he acquired had been practiced countless times in deductions, which is why he was able to learn firearm skills so quickly in the real world.


    <i>¡ªThis was the most formidable aspect of infinite deduction!</i>


    "Gu Yi, you can do this."


    He gently patted his cheeks and carefully left the room. Tiptoeing, he bypassed several fanatics and arrived at the presidential suite. He lurked in a shadowy corner, then with his right hand, he pulled out a shard of ss from the ck orb space.


    ng!


    Gu Yi threw the ss shard into a corner.


    The two fanatics guarding the door were immediately drawn to the sound.


    "What was that noise?"


    "A rat?"


    "No, it sounded like ss to me."


    "Let''s go check it out."


    "Alright."


    As the two fanatics approached one after the other, the moment the first one reached the corner, Gu Yi swiftly acted. He used the ss shard to slit the enemy''s throat and deftly snatched the handgun from the enemy''s waist.


    "Enemy attack!"


    The second fanatic, realizing something was wrong, immediately raised his submachine gun.


    But Gu Yi was faster. Before the enemy could pull the trigger, Gu Yi shot him in the head.


    Hearing themotion, the fanatics inside the room also quickly rushed out.


    Gu Yi, using the body of a fanatic as a shield, hid in the corner and swiftly took out the third fanatic with a shot.


    "Damn it!"


    Thest remaining fanatic hurried back into the room, not daring toe out. He surmised that his assant, with such precise marksmanship, must be an agent from the strategy group. He quickly grabbed the headset and was about to press the talk button.


    "Hello..."


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A bullet pierced through the wall, hitting thest fanatic''s head.


    The hostages inside the room screamed in shock, all turning to look at the door.


    They saw Gu Yi, bloodied, walking to the doorway, waving his hand, "Hello everyone, I''m Gu Yi, I''m here to save you. Does anyone here know how to use a gun?"


    "I do! I''m a bodyguard for the president of Sakura Country."


    "A bodyguard from Sakura Country? Maybe not then..."


    "Mr. Gu, I know how to use a gun."


    "Are you also a bodyguard?"


    "No, I''m just a student."


    "A student? Never mind, then."


    "I''m from Gotham City, and I''ve also spent holidays in Hawaii."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi inhaled sharply and quickly handed a submachine gun to the student, "Remember to follow my orderster."

 Chapter 166: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (5)

    <h4>Chapter 166: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (5)</h4>


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    Love, positioned on the rooftop, suddenly heard several gunshotsing from below. He and his subordinates exchanged puzzled nces.


    "What''s going on? Have they broken into the hotel?"


    "How could they breach so quickly?" Love frowned. "Check with the team downstairs."


    "Doctor, there''s no response from them."


    "Damn it, send some men to investigate the situation, and send extra if needed!"


    "Understood!"


    Love closed his eyes, extending his psychic senses to the presidential suite below.


    The emotions of everyone in the room were extremely tense, which was normal under such circumstances. However, one person stood out as an anomaly - they were remarkably calm, almost without any emotional fluctuation, as if they were asleep.


    Love had only encountered such a condition once before - with Gu Yi.


    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>


    More intense gunfire erupted from below, and a panicked report came through the radio.


    "Doctor, it''s an agent! His shooting skills are unreal; we''re being taken down without evenying eyes on him."


    "An agent, my foot. He''s yed us!"


    Love raised the walkie-talkie in his hand and furiously threw it at the "Gu Yi" hanging from the roof.


    After being hit, "Gu Yi" transformed into a wax figure, falling to the ground and shattering into eight pieces.


    Qu Kangping watched the remains of "Gu Yi" in astonishment, unable toprehend what had just happened.


    "How did he do that?"


    Love looked down at the wax pieces on the ground, his mind in disarray. For a moment, he felt that his opponent was not just a powerless adventurer but rather a servant of gods like himself, capable of anything.


    <i>Without God''s permission, it''s incredibly difficult for adventurers to use weird powers in the real world. Even if they asionally manage it, it''s usually attributed to sheer luck.</i>


    <i>Like thest time in the projection room, how did he manage to summon the void to chase him away?</i>


    <i>Why could he use such powers even after returning to the real world?</i>


    Love pondered deeply, but soon he realized his thoughts were bing sluggish. Eventually, his mind convinced him that all these questions were natural and didn''t need doubting.


    He nced at his watch; there were only two minutes left of the half-hour.


    It was time to fulfill his promise.


    "Hand me the phone."


    Love took a phone from one of the fanatics, walked to the window, and aimed the camera towards the endless blue sky.


    "Hello, everyone, wee to my live broadcast. Today''s weather is perfect for a bungee jumping performance. Next, I will draw a lucky individual from this crowd to perform a bungee jump for us."


    Love, holding the phone, moved to the center of the crowd.


    "All of you, stand in a line."


    The hostages formed a line.


    Love grinned, closing his eyes, and walked to the front of the line. "I will close my eyes and walk, singing a song. When I stop singing, whoever I stop in front of will be the one to bungee jump."


    "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream..."


    After finishing the nursery rhyme, Love opened his eyes and turned to see who was in front of him. It was Wang He, the President of the Dragon Country.


    "Oh wow, I really hit the jackpot, didn''t I? To think that on my first draw, I would pick our esteemed President."


    "Hmph."


    Wang He scoffed and turned his head away.


    Qu Kangping stepped forward, speaking loudly, "Hey! I''ll do the bungee jump, don''t take the leader."


    "I''ve never seen people fight over who gets to die."


    Love''s eyes turned dark as he red at Qu Kangping.


    Qu Kangping felt an immense pain in his head and involuntarily copsed to the ground, his legs giving way.


    Love dragged Wang He to the window, positioning the camera on him.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I promised that if Jin Xin wasn''t brought to me within half an hour, I would start killing. There''s one minute left. Why haven''t I seen the person yet?"


    Love peered out the window, looking down at the street.


    The Anti-Weirdness Task Force had already stealthily positioned the Scranton Reality Anchor and was quietly installing it nearby. However, this was exactly what Love wanted to see.


    The more forces gathered here, the more defenseless the Imperial Capital Prison would be.


    As everyone saw Love bring Wang He to the window, they all started to worry.


    Love, holding Wang He with one hand, dangled him out of the window.


    Wang He was visibly so frightened that his face turned pale, yet he firmly refused to beg for mercy.


    Below, the soldiers were in chaos, with some continuously pleading through loudspeakers for restraint.


    <i>Beep beep beep...</i>


    Love''s phone rang, and he answered it while still holding Wang He with a rope.


    "It''s me."


    "Listen, release Leader Wang immediately. If you dare kill him, we won''t agree to any of your demands."


    "Sorry, but I keep my word. If I say I''ll kill a hostage, I will. If you don''t agree to my terms, I''ll keep killing. If you''re capable, just fire a missile and blow up the building."


    "You... you bastard..."


    "Sorry, negotiation''s over."


    Love hung up the phone.


    "How does it feel, esteemed President?" Love said gleefully. "You''re about to take a little trip to hell. Anyst wishes?"


    "Humanity will never bow to the weird world. Victory will ultimately belong to..."


    "Forget it, I don''t want to hear it!"


    Love shook his head and let go of the rope.


    "Aah¡ª"


    Turning confidently, Love was startled to hear the president''s voice still nearby. He leaned over the windowsill to look down.


    Gu Yi, half hanging outside, had grabbed the president''s rope in the nick of time.


    "Gu Yi! You again!"


    Furious, Love snatched a handgun from one of his subordinates.


    Gu Yi, clenching his teeth, yelled, "Pull me back in!"


    Before he could finish, the hostages downstairs scrambled to pull both Gu Yi and Wang He back in. Bullets grazed the outer wall, narrowly missing Wang He.


    Finally back on solid ground, Wang He rubbed his trembling legs and looked sincerely at Gu Yi.


    "Gu Yi, you saved my life."


    "Forget about it," Gu Yi waved it off, still keeping an eye on the movements of the thugs upstairs.


    "I don''t know how to thank you."


    "Maybe lower the housing prices a bit?"


    "That''s... not within my control."


    "Then maybe you should''ve just jumped?"


    "I appreciate your sense of humor."


    "I''m not joking."


    Gu Yi raised an eyebrow and then turned his attention back to the situation.


    "People areing up to us from downstairs, about 10 of them. But they''re not rushing up here yet, probably waiting for more backup to prepare a force to wipe us out.


    There are 5 more peopleing down from upstairs, blocking the stairway down. Let''s not go out yet; we''ll fight from here, hit them when they try to help their buddies.


    How much ammo do you all have left?"


    "Brother Yi, we only have three magazines left."


    Gu Yi checked his own handgun, ejecting the magazine, "I''ve got four bullets left."


    "No worries, we can get more ammo after taking down a couple of them."


    The high school student from Gotham City spoke calmly, the mostposed among them, having taken down the most enemies.


    Gu Yi remained nomittal, knowing that being trapped here would lead to a dead end. Their only chance was to fight their way back to the top floor and take down Love.


    Wang He, looking between Gu Yi and the others, asked curiously, "Gu Yi, can you really track the movement of all the enemies in the building?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why don''t you contact the Anti-Weirdness Task Force? If we coordinate with them, we could quickly deal with these people."


    "I don''t have their contact number."


    "I do," Wang He said eagerly. "I''ll call them right now."


    "Wait, don''t rush," Gu Yi stopped Wang He. "The most crucial thing now is to divert some of their forces to the Imperial Capital Prison."


    "Why? Is it because..."


    Upon hearing this, Wang He quickly grasped Gu Yi''s intention and hurriedly reached for his phone.

 Chapter 167: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (6)

    <h4>Chapter 167: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (6)</h4>


    Imperial Capital Prison.


    The warden sat in his office, answering the phone.


    "Hello, this is Imperial Capital Prison."


    "Can you provide us with ten more Scranton Reality Anchors?"


    "We can''t spare any more. If we do, we won''t be able to suppress the prisoners here," the warden said, ncing out of his office window. "What exactly is happening over there?"


    "We''re still short in numbers. The enemy likely possesses extremely powerful weird artifacts. Based on the current Hume index, a forceful attack would still result in significant casualties."


    "I''m sorry, but there''s nothing more I can do."


    The warden hung up the phone.


    Imperial Capital Prison is a circr prison. The outer ring houses the dormitories and offices for the prison guards, while the center contains the cells for the inmates.


    The cell block is tower-shaped. Its exterior Hume levels must be maintained below -100 at all times to ensure that the inmates cannot escape and external weird forces cannot infiltrate.


    However, this setup also results in highly unstable space-time conditions within the cells. A normal person staying inside for just ten seconds could potentially undergo permanent weird transformation, and even with protective measures, one cannot stay inside for more than thirty minutes.


    As a result, the internal structure of the cells is highly automated to minimize human intervention.


    Meanwhile, Imperial Capital Prison harbors a secret known only to the leaders of the strategy group and heads of various nations.


    Most of the inmates are extremely vicious and seemingly immortal, with confinement being the only means to restrain them.


    Interestingly, about seventy percent of these inmates were once retired adventurers.


    Retired adventurers, upon returning to the real world, might again hear the ravings of the ''Director''. If these adventurers are not resolute in will, they could quickly fall into darkness, bing enraged, bloodthirsty weird beings.


    Those who manage to leave the weird world alive are either exceptionally talented or possess brave, meticulous personalities. If such individuals turn into weird creatures, they pose an even greater threat to humanity than the weird world itself.


    Therefore, all retired adventurers are invited to join the strategy group. Even if they decline, the group keeps them registered and conducts regr home visits.


    This serves both as a protective measure for the retired adventurers and as a form of surveince.


    Past teammates could potentially be current enemies.


    The warden, frustrated, tried to light his lighter, but after several attempts, he tossed it into the trash can and leaned back in his office chair.


    "Things have been quite troublesometely..."


    He picked up his phone and opened the live broadcast, trying to distract himself from the mounting tensions.


    Just then, the live broadcast showed the moment when Love attempted to throw Wang He off the building.


    "What the heck? Has this guy lost his mind?"


    The warden sat up straight, his eyes glued to the screen.


    Contrary to the gruesome scene he had anticipated, Gu Yi miraculously intervened in time to save Wang He.


    "This kid is really something!" he couldn''t help but exim, pping the armrest of his chair.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    A loud explosion sounded outside the office, startling the warden so much that he nearly dropped his phone. He hurried to the window to look outside.


    A cloud of dust rose from the southeast corner of the prison. Guards were swarming towards the site of the explosion.


    "What''s happening?"


    Leaving his office, the warden grabbed one of his subordinates.


    "Sir, the prison is under attack."


    "An attack on the prison? What are they after?"


    The explosions outside intensified, and the prison gates were blown open by enemy artillery ¨C it was hard to imagine how these people managed to smuggle so much ammunition into the Dragon Country.


    "How can they have such heavy firepower?"


    "It must be smuggled weapons."


    "Never mind that, take your men to defend. I''ll call for backup."


    "Yes, sir."


    The warden hurriedly picked up the phone to request military support. "This is Imperial Capital Prison. We are under attack by fanatics. We need backup immediately."


    "We''ve already received the report and are on our way!"


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Suddenly, a bomb sted open the warden''s office, burying him under rubble and debris.


    The fanatics, armed to the teeth, barged into the office. In no time, they located the key to the main gate of the demon-suppressing tower. Their actions were proficient, indicating they came prepared.


    "Got it?"


    "Got it."


    "Hurry up."


    Leaving the office, the fanatics suddenly heard a noise from a corner.


    The warden emerged from the rubble, charging at the fanatics like a starving tiger. Without a weapon, he resorted to biting.


    "Ah¡ª"


    "Shoot him, don''t bother with him!"


    The fanatics shot the warden, along with theirrade caught in the scuffle. They then separated the two bodies and retrieved the key from the warden''s hand.


    "Don''t dilly-dally, use guns when you can."


    "Understood."


    The two fanatics left the office building, heading straight for the central cell block.


    On the outer building, the guards were still engaged in a fierce gunfight with the fanatics, too upied to attend to the prison cells. The fanatics set fires outside, quickly engulfing the entire prison in thick smoke.


    "Let''s go, Lord Jin Xin is in cell block C-1047."


    "Right."


    Wearing protective suits, they rushed into the cell block without hesitation.


    The distorted space made them dizzy, but the amulets given by Dr. W soon took effect, leading them to the right path.


    In less than twenty minutes, they located the cell where Jin Xin was supposedly held.


    "Are you sure we didn''t get lost?"


    "Of course not."


    "Then why is there a spittoon in the cell?"


    "Uh... never mind that, just take this spittoon with us."


    They used the key to unlock the cell door.


    The spittoon, hearing the fanatics'' movements, wobbled from side to side.


    One of them took out a crowbar and forcefully smashed it down.


    <i>ng!</i>


    <i>ng!</i>


    <i>ng!</i>


    After three strikes, he finally broke open the spittoon, revealing a thin, skeletal dead man''s head inside.


    Jin Xin slowly lifted his eyelids, looking weakly at the two fanatics, "Have you...e to rescue me?"


    "Yes."


    "I don''t have any strength left."


    "No problem, we have this."


    One of the fanatics took out a dream fragment and stuffed it into Jin Xin''s mouth.


    Jin Xin''s head instantly plumped up, his eyes burning with a me of vengeance, "Get me out of here quickly."


    "Okay."


    The two carried Jin Xin and retraced their steps.


    Upon exiting the demon-suppressing tower, they were dumbfounded.


    The Anti-Weirdness task force had already made its way back, somehow getting the news early and rushing to the rescue. ording to the original n, they were supposed to arrive in another 10 minutes!


    "Open fire!"


    The army started shooting without hesitation, killing the two fanatics on the spot.


    Jin Xin''s dead head fell onto the fanatics'' chest, covered in blood.


    "Capture the prisoner!"


    Jin Xin grinned, moving his head with his chin, and pulled out a paintbrush from the fanatics'' chest.


    The army with their eyes wide, immediately raised their weapons.


    "Shoot the paintbrush!"


    <i>Bang Bang Bang!!!</i>


    Bullets flew out.


    But it was already toote.


    Red ink traced a beautiful arc in the air, and Jin Xin disappeared from sight under everyone''s watchful eyes.


    "Activate the spatial anchor, have you located him?"


    "He''s heading towards the Imperial Capital Hotel, and should arrive in about three minutes."


    "Quick, go back, and order a full assault on the building."


    "Aren''t we considering the hostages?"


    "This is an order just issued by President Wang He. What''s more important, the safety of the whole world or a few hostages?"


    "Yes, sir!"

 Chapter 168: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (7)

    <h4>Chapter 168: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (7)</h4>


    "Doctor, there''s a problem at the prison."


    "What happened?"


    "The task force came to support earlier than expected, but Jin Xin sessfully escaped from his cell and is now heading our way."


    "Oh."


    Love nodded, seemingly unsurprised by this oue.


    Gu Yi, unaffected by his psychological suggestions, could maintain a clear mind and quickly analyze the intent of their operation. With more and more stability anchors surrounding the building, his influence on the crowd''s psyche would diminish.


    If Jin Xin couldn''t arrive within three minutes, the task force would likelyunch a strong attack.


    <i>Zzzzz¡ª</i>


    Suddenly, a sound of electricity buzzed in everyone''s ears.


    Love turned his head to look, and a skinny head fell from the sky,nding on the ground.


    The head rolled to Love''s feet, opened its panda like eyes weakly, and said, "Brother, I finally managed to escape back here."


    "Why have you be like this?" Love asked in surprise. "You look like you''ve been soaking in a spittoon for seven days and nights."


    "Since when did you start fortune-telling?"


    "Hmm?"


    <i>Bang Bang Bang¡ª</i>


    Suddenly, the sound of gunfire rang in everyone''s ears, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to realize it wasing from the walkie-talkie.


    Love closed his eyes and tried to sense the situation downstairs, but the abundance of stability anchors limited his perception to only the first three floors.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Doctor, it''s Gu Yi..."


    <i>Boom!</i>


    Suddenly, an explosion erupted beneath Love''s feet. He was directly engulfed in the st.


    The hostages huddled together and took the opportunity to escape in the chaos.


    Qu Kangping helped Ah Jian to escape with the crowd. They exchanged a nce, looking at each other dumbfounded.


    "This must be Gu Yi''s doing."


    "I don''t know whether to praise him or scold him."


    After the initial confusion, the fanatics stood up again and fired warning shots.


    <i>Bang Bang Bang¡ª</i>


    "Don''t move!"


    Hearing the gunshots, everyone screamed andy down on the ground.


    The leader of the fanatics raised his gun and shouted, "Stop the chaos! You and you, go check on the doctor! The rest of you, watch the hostages!"


    Seeing Love blown up, the fanatics also lost theirposure.


    The leader red fiercely at the hostages and walked towards the site of the explosion. As he passed the main door, a bullet pierced through the door panel and urately shot through his temple.


    Blood and marrow sttered everywhere.


    The hostages screamed incessantly.


    Seeing this, the fanatics redirected their attention to the main entrance.


    "Shoot at the main door!"


    <i>Bang Bang Bang¡ª</i>


    The main door was riddled with bullet holes, and the gunman who shot through it to kill the leader had already made a swift escape.


    The sound of helicopter rotors echoed from outside.


    "Shoot down the helicopter quickly!"


    A fanatic picked up a rocketuncher, aiming at the helicopter. However, a sniper positioned in the distance had already taken aim and fired, killing the fanatic.


    It was clear that Love was either killed or injured in the st.


    Without his help, the group of fanatics had no means to counter the sniper.


    The Anti-Weirdness task forcended on the roof of the building and descended using ropes.


    The fanatics gathered the hostages together, intending to set themselves on fire. They were willing to die, even if it meant taking others with them. As terrorists, they cared little for their own lives.


    "Let''s all die together!"


    A fanatic pulled out a grenade and removed the pin.


    Just then, the venttion grate above him was kicked open, and Gu Yi descended from above, shooting the fanatic dead in mid-fall.


    The grenade dropped to the ground.


    The other fanatics quickly turned their guns towards Gu Yi.


    Gu Yi agilely rolled behind a pir for cover. Bullets ricocheted off the pir, causing all the hostages to cover their heads and cry out in fear.


    Qu Kangping acted quickly. He suddenly stood up, pushed aside the body of the fanatic, and kicked the grenade out of the window.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The grenade exploded outside, sending shards of ss flying.


    The hostages on the ground were unharmed, but the standing fanatics were injured by the flying ss fragments.


    At this moment, the Anti-Weirdness troops descended from above, efficiently eliminating the remaining fanatics.


    Gu Yi emerged from behind the pir, raising his hands, "Don''t shoot, it''s me."


    "Mr. Gu, are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Gu Yi nced outside the door. "There are twenty-three fanatics downstairs. Thirteen havemitted suicide, ten are trying to escape; they''ve run to the basement. Another group of hostages is trapped on the 23rd floor. Don''t storm in through the main entrance; they''ve nted many mines there."


    "Is there anything else?"


    "That''s all," Gu Yi confidently stated. "I''ve already taken care of the few remaining fanatics. The cleanup is up to you now."


    "Okay."


    The Anti-Weirdness troops nodded and left, following Gu Yi''s instructions to pursue the remaining fanatics.


    Gu Yi let out a long sigh of relief.


    Thanks to the effect of "The-World Card," Gu Yi was able to sessfully use the bomb to ambush Love and also managed to eliminate the scattered fanatics, saving Wang He who was on the brink of death.


    Qu Kangping whose face was covered in blood, walked up to Gu Yi and patted his shoulder firmly.


    "Brat, you did well. How did you manage it?"


    "Um... even if I told you, you might not understand."


    "Huh?"


    Qu Kangping tilted his head, not pressing further.


    Gu Yi, limping, walked towards the site of the explosion. Qu Kangping turned and then noticed that Gu Yi had been shot in the leg.


    "Gu Yi, you''re injured."


    "It''s nothing, just a graze."


    Gu Yi waved his hand dismissively and continued forward. He had been so desperate, all to eliminate these two hosts in the real world.


    If both of them managed to escape, it would all have been in vain.


    The explosion site was littered with mutted bodies.


    Love was charred with his lower half blown apart. In his arms was a dark, shriveled head, unmistakably Jin Xin.


    Gu Yi bent down to pick up Jin Xin''s head, only to find it had shrunk to the size of half a basketball. He slowly lifted his eyelids, his face filled with resentment.


    "Gu... Yi..."


    "You couldn''t escape."


    Gu Yi opened his right hand, and Jin Xin''s head was absorbed into a ck orb of light. Inside the orb, the head bounced from side to side, gradually shrinking until it was the size of an apple core.


    Qu Kangping watched in disbelief as Gu Yi eliminated Jin Xin''s head. "You... what is this...?"


    "Double talent, remember?"


    "You can use weird abilities in the real world?" Qu Kangping, with a furrowed brow, grasped Gu Yi, "What exactly is going on with you?"


    "I... I don''t know."


    "Have you ever heard any terrifying murmurs? They usually can be heard when you''re alone."


    "What terrifying murmurs?"


    Qu Kangping became increasingly agitated, suddenly realizing something. He asked in a low voice, "Tell me, do you have the Tarot cards with you?"

 Chapter 169: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (8)

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Shocking Kidnapping Case (8)</h4>


    Gu Yi remained silent for a moment.


    He knew that privately hoarding weird objects was a serious vition. If caught, he might end up in the Imperial Capital Prison for life, just like Jin Xin.


    Yet, he feltpelled to do so.


    There were many fanatic infiltrators in the strategy team and even within the national organizations. If he hadn''t hidden the Fool card in advance, it would have already fallen into enemy hands.


    Moreover, the facts had proven that even Qu Kangping and the strategy team couldn''t bepletely trusted.


    Theycked the ability to resist psychological suggestions.


    Love''s sess in deceiving everyone was a reminder of this.


    "I don''t have it."


    "You don''t?"


    "No."


    "Good... you better not have it," Qu Kangping said. "I can''t protect you forever. In the real world, you might manage to use it secretly, but in the weird world, if you use a power that''s not yours, the whole world will see. Your double talent has already made you the focus of global attention. If you were to..."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi couldn''t help but shiver.


    Today, he had used weird powers to escape kidnapping. If the country decided to investigate...


    Wang He, protected by the Anti-weirdness troops, arrived at the rooftop. He walked up to Gu Yi and firmly grasped his hand, "Kid, we owe you a great deal."


    "Uh... thank you."


    "I will consider the matter of housing prices."


    "Really?"


    "Of course." Wang He turned and winked at Qu Kangping, "I have something to discuss with you privately."


    Qu Kangping was momentarily stunned but quickly followed Wang He.


    "What happened to your face?"


    "It''s the enemy''s blood." Qu Kangping wiped his face. "President, please speak your mind."


    "You don''t need to worry about Gu Yi."


    "What?"


    "I know you''re concerned he might be a weird creature, but don''t forget, those who turned into weird creatures were all retired adventurers."


    Qu Kangping fell silent.


    Wang He continued, "The fact that he can freely use weird powers in the real world must be kept a secret. It can''t be disclosed to the public. Otherwise, it would surely cause panic. You wouldn''t want the Quentin incident to happen again, would you?"


    The Quentin incident in the Lighthouse Country was notorious.


    Quentin was the only adventurer who had cleared a dungeon five times in a row. After using his weird powers in the real world on one asion, he saved people but ended up being cyberbullied. Eventually, inte Januaryst year, he was murdered in his sleep by extremists.


    The public can be ignorant.


    Their fear of the unknown is immense. They wouldn''t appreciate Quentin saving everyone; they would only fear his immense power.


    "Yes, I understand."


    "I''ll handle the other politicians. As for the ordinary hostages... perform a Level-A memory wipe on them to ensure the secret is kept. After you return, work on Gu Yi''s mindset, make sure he doesn''t overthink."


    "Understood."


    Qu Kangping nodded. With Wang He having made his position clear, Qu Kangping had no choice but toply. He knew Gu Yi wasn''t the type to betray humanity or his beliefs, but as the leader of the strategy team, being suspicious and vignt was part of his job.


    Turning back to Gu Yi, Qu Kangping found the young man still standing in the same spot, his eyes fixed on Love''s body.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Something''s off."


    "What''s off?"


    "Love died too easily."


    Qu Kangping paused for a moment, thenughed, "Even if he''s a host, severe physical trauma can kill him."


    "Jin Xin survived with just a head, Love still had half his body. Why would he die? This is clearly a deception!"


    Gu Yi red at Qu Kangping, realizing that he hadn''t noticed this obvious loophole. Love''s psychological suggestion was still in effect.


    Gu Yi scrutinized everyone present, trying to analyze each person''s actions. However, the more he observed, the colder his back felt.


    Everyone''s strides were identical.


    They moved as if they had obsessivepulsive disorder, each stepnding precisely in the center of a brick. Gu Yi couldn''t distinguish who was Love in disguise based on their movements.


    This was Love''s mockery of him!


    "Where''s Ah Jian?"


    "What Ah Jian?" Qu Kangping suddenly froze. "Right, where is Ah Jian?"


    The sound of a helicopter echoed from the rooftop.


    Gu Yi cursed under his breath and sprinted towards the rooftop, with Qu Kangping close behind.


    The rooftop door was locked, and a pile of shattered stery in front of it, clearly left by Ah Jian.


    Qu Kangping pulled Gu Yi back and kicked the door open.


    "Hurry, stop him."


    "As if I need you to tell me."


    Gu Yi rushed to the helipad only to find that most of the Anti-weirdness troops there were dead, having apparentlymitted suicide by swallowing bullets. The few remaining were unconscious and utterly incapable of fighting.


    The helicopter''s rotors were already spinning. Ah Jian sat in the cockpit, calmly pulling the control stick.


    "Don''t think you can escape!"


    Gu Yi dashed forward and leapt, grabbing onto the helicopter''snding gear.


    Seeing this, Qu Kangping didn''t hesitate to pick up a gun and aim at Ah Jian in the cockpit.


    As he hesitated to shoot, Ah Jian turned around, his eyespletely ck.


    "Uh¡ªah!"


    Qu Kangping''s right hand uncontrobly turned the gun towards his own chin. With blood-red eyes, he bit his tongue fiercely.


    He finally regained consciousness and threw the pistol to the ground.


    The helicopter had already flown far away.


    Qu Kangping weakly crawled to the railing, muttering breathlessly, "Gu Yi... Ah Jian..."


    <i>Bang Bang Bang¡ª</i>


    The helicopter soared high into the sky. Love, controlling Ah Jian, kept maneuvering the aircraft, trying to shake off Gu Yi.


    However, every time he harbored the intent to kill, God''s voice echoed in his ear.


    "Do not kill him... let hime to me alive..."


    "Ah!"


    Love forcefully hit his own head. Despite his desire to defy God''s will, he found himself unable to.


    "Master, why do you treat him like this? He will never ally with us. Why?"


    The master did not respond.


    Love felt a warm sensation in his nose as blood uncontrobly flowed out.


    Suddenly, the cockpit door opened. Gu Yi had managed to break in while Love was distracted. He raised his right fist, the irresistible force appearing once again.


    <i>¡ªLast time, it was Gu Yi''s punch that sent him into the void.</i>


    "Let Ah Jian go!"


    "Foolish!"


    Love''s nose bled more profusely. If he kept Gu Yi alive, he would be detained by the strategy team until death, but if he killed Gu Yi, his master would also kill him.


    Caught in the dilemma, Love decided to gamble.


    Finally, outside the range of the stability anchors, Love''s mental powers restored, allowing him to use his possession ability once again.


    His ck eyes searched frantically for a new target to possess. Forcefully manipting the controls, he directed the helicopter towards a distant high-rise building.


    "What are you doing? Stop!"


    Gu Yi''s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly reached to grab the control stick. Just a second before the helicopter collided with the building, Love left Ah Jian''s body.


    "May you die a good death, Gu Yi!"

 Chapter 170: The Epitaph of a Hero

    <h4>Chapter 170: The Epitaph of a Hero</h4>


    Ah Jian''s head drooped listlessly.


    Gu Yi forcefully pulled on the control stick, but it was toote.


    The helicopter''s rotors crashed into the building, creating a deafening noise. Gu Yi, trapped in the cockpit, was dazed.


    Just when Gu Yi was at a loss, Ah Jian suddenly opened his eyes, quickly strapped a parachute onto Gu Yi, and then, holding him, jumped out of the cockpit.


    "Brother Ah Jian!"


    Gu Yi''s eyes widened as he looked at the other man.


    Ah Jian''s eyes were slowly bing lifeless as his lips moved slightly.


    Although Gu Yi couldn''t hear what he was saying, he could read the words from his lips.


    "I''m sorry."


    Mid-air, Ah Jian used hisst bit of strength to kick Gu Yi away.


    <i>Boom!</i>


    The helicopter finally exploded.


    Debris from the explosion shed across Gu Yi''s eyelids. He clenched his eyes shut and forcefully pulled the parachute open.


    The fierce wind whisked Gu Yi away.


    For some reason, his vision was blurred, unable to see the scenery ahead clearly.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Strategy Team Base.


    In the dormitory.


    Gu Yi had a bullet graze on his thigh and a cut on his eyelid from the explosion debris, but otherwise, he was rtively unharmed.


    Today, he donned a new suit, the cor crisply ironed.


    Gu Yi stepped out of the door.


    Qu Kangping, unusually, was dressed in an agent''s uniform, his chest badge shining brightly.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Yeah."


    "Let''s go."


    Gu Yi followed Qu Kangping into the car and they headed to the Martyrs'' Cemetery.


    This ce buried all the adventurers who had fallen in the weird world. Regrettably, these adventurers had no remains to be buried, only cenotaphs.


    In that shocking kidnapping case, a total of thirty-seven agents died in action, along with thirteen anti-weirdness special forces soldiers, and forty were severely injured.


    However, thanks to everyone''s efforts, only one hostage died and three were injured from start to finish in this incident.


    The agents lined up, solemnly facing the cenotaphs of their fallenrades, silently.


    Ah Jian was among them.


    Regrettably, the enemy left him with no intact body, only a charred badge.


    Another cenotaph was added to the Martyrs'' Cemetery.


    "Salute!"


    Qu Kangping stood at the forefront of the team, leading everyone in paying respects to the fallen.


    Gu Yi followed behind, observing each hero''s tombstone.


    On the tombstones of all the fallen agents, the same epitaph was inscribed:


    <i>[A solemn tribute to those who have died. Victory will ultimately belong to humanity.]</i>


    After the funeral.


    Gu Yi returned to the car with Qu Kangping.


    Qu Kangping sat in the driver''s seat, stuffing a cigarette into his mouth. He took out a lighter but couldn''t seem to light the cigarette. Frowning, he gripped the lighter with both hands but still couldn''t get it to work.


    "Damn it..."


    Qu Kangping cursed under his breath.


    Gu Yi took the lighter from Qu Kangping and finally helped him light his cigarette.


    Qu Kangping took a deep drag of the cigarette, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs before exhaling.


    "It''s all my fault."


    Gu Yi looked at Qu Kangping and shook his head, "How is this rted to you?"


    "I was careless. I should have noticed something was off with Ah Jian sooner. I should have seen the enemy''s trap."


    "It''s not your fault. The enemy was just too powerful."


    Qu Kangping didn''t respond to this, continuing to speak his thoughts.


    "After he personally killed his sister''s ghost, his emotions were already unstable, but I failed to help him deal with his feelings in time. To avoid being hunted, we hid in the Dark Moon Circus. Even after returning to the real world, I didn''t talk to Ah Jian immediately, which led him down a dark path."


    "You mean... the mole in our strategy team was actually..."


    Qu Kangping nodded with a bitter smile on his face,


    "For Ah Jian, I broke the rules twice.


    The first time, I condoned Ah Jian keeping a ghost, and the second time, I helped destroy evidence of Ah Jian''s vition.


    On my first day back in the real world, Ah Jian came to see me in a wheelchair, insisting on returning to his post. I didn''t agree.


    Later, Ah Jian kept pleading with me, and I eventually agreed to his request, allowing him to do some simple clerical work at the base.


    However, on his second day at work, Ah Jian broke the rules and entered the archives room. It was me who destroyed the audio-visual evidence of his intrusion because I found out that he only went into the archives to look at his sister''s photos before she passed away."


    Qu Kangping finished his cigarette with a deep drag and continued.


    "But.... I was still careless.


    Ah Jian had secretly left something in the archives ¨C a transmitter used by Love for broadcasting thoughts. With this device, Love could use psychological suggestions on us remotely.


    I personally handled Ah Jian''s belongings. In his home, I found his spare phone, which contained his chat history with Love. The day after Ah Jian¡¯s sisterpletely vanished, he became Love¡¯s puppet due to his unstable mind.


    But... I deleted those chat records.


    Looking back, if it weren''t for your immunity to Love''s mental attacks, I really don''t know how much bigger a mess we would have made. All of this is my fault; I''m not apetent team leader."


    Gu Yi remained silent for a moment, surprised that the traitor in their team was Ah Jian, someone who had always seemed so upright and brave. No one would have believed he could betray his beliefs.


    "Leader..."


    "It''s alright, I don''t need yourfort. I already feel much better now," Qu Kangping stretched, "In a couple of days, you''ll be on an adventure again. Don''t let these troubles affect your mood. In our line of work, death and injury are normal. If I die one day, don''t be sad, okay?"


    "Hm."


    "My cigarette is finished. I''m going out to buy a new pack, and then I''ll take you back to the base."


    "Alright."


    Qu Kangping left the car and went to Ah Jian''s grave alone to offer paper money in tribute.


    He stood up, pulled out a phone from his pocket, and opened the chat history.


    <i>[Ah Jian: Can you really bring my sister back to life?]</i>


    <i>[Love: Don''t worry, just do as I say, and anything is possible.]</i>


    <i>[Ah Jian: No, I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re lying to me!]</i>


    <i>[Love: Ah Jian, from the moment you contacted me, you already knew whether I was lying. Besides, you can''t turn back now.]</i>


    Qu Kangping, with a cigarette in his mouth, squinted as he deleted the chat history, then threw the phone into the fire.


    "Ah Jian, this is thest time I break the rules for you, and thest time in my life."


    ...


    "The dungeon is about to open. Please prepare, adventurers."


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, once again entering the weird world.


    This was Gu Yi''s fourth time in the weird world, surviving three dungeons consecutively, a record rare enough to be etched into history.


    The dungeon had not yet officially started.


    He was standing in front of a mirror.


    The reflection showed a somewhat haggard appearance, his beard unkempt, making him look a decade older. After a while, the system''s prompt sounded again.


    <i><strong>[Dungeon Name]</strong> Born with Sin</i>


    <i><strong>[Dungeon Introduction] </strong>In Wapeng, everyone is born with sin. Upon reaching adulthood, everyone carries a sentence of millions of years, which can only be reduced through ceaselessbor. Work, dedication, and sacrifice ¨C these are the beliefs of the people of Wapeng, the only way to atone for their sins.</i>


    <strong><i>[Clearing Conditions]</i></strong>


    <i>1. Perfect Level: Sessfully uncover the truth behind Wapeng City and eliminate the Unspeakable.</i>


    <i>2. Excellent Level: Be a first-ss citizen of Wapeng City within one month.</i>


    <i>3. Ordinary Level: Be a second-ss citizen of Wapeng City within one month.</i>

 Chapter 171: First Entry into Wapeng

    <h4>Chapter 171: First Entry into Wapeng</h4>


    After the system broadcast ended, Gu Yi regained his freedom to move.


    The dungeon introduction mentioned Wapeng, as the city''s name.


    Without a doubt, this dungeon seemed to continue the worldview of the previous one, and the host was still Dr. W. Last time, Gu Yi yed the role of a minor, a student; now, he needed to portray an adult in Wapeng.


    Gu Yi looked around.


    He appeared to be in a toilet, the air somewhat murky, carrying a strange odor, like socks that hadn''t been washed for a week.


    In the mirror, he saw himself as a middle-aged man, thankfully without a potbelly, and his muscles still appeared well-defined.


    His skin was dark and chapped, likely due to long exposure to sun and wind, and the calluses on his palms were thick, indicating a life of physicalbor.


    "Thirty to forty years old, a manualborer."


    Gu Yi quickly defined the role he was to y in this setting.


    In the toilet, finding neither danger nor clues, Gu Yi ced his hand on the door handle and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You push the door open.)


    (Outside is a small room, no more than 10 square meters, just enough space for a wooden bed. A Wapeng High School uniform is hanging on the wall.)


    (You pick it up and see the name "Chen Zeyu" signed on it.)


    (As you predicted, this dungeon continues the worldview of the previous one, even retaining character rtionships.)


    (You sit on the edge of the bed, trying to activate the ck orb.)


    (The ck orb sessfully activates.)


    (You attempt to pull out a Tarot card, but find that it''s sealed.)


    (You surmise that the power of the Tarot cards belongs to the host, and is affected by the rules of the dungeon, only usable in the host''s projection room.)


    (If the opportunity arises, you must have a decisive battle with Dr. W in this dungeon.)


    (You search the room for clues.)


    (Under the bed is a bag containing nothing but clothes.)


    (No significant findings yet.)


    (You push open the room door.)


    (Fresh air greets you.)


    (You notice slogans posted on the wall opposite the door.)


    ([1. Private property is sacred and invible.])


    ([2. Wapeng doesn''t support idlers; if you can''t find a job within a month, you''ll be fertilizer for Wapeng nts.])


    ([3. Please abide by the citizen codes; any vition will increase your sentence.])


    (You frown.)


    (Before you can ponder further, a robot wearing a steel helmet approaches you.)


    (Robot: You have vited Citizen Code A-001, your sentence is increased by 10,000 years. Your current sentence is now ¡ª 1,010,000 years. You will be taken to prison for enforced execution.)


    (You: What do you mean?)


    (The robot repeats its earlier statement.)


    (You realize the robot is incapable ofmunication, so you immediately use psychological suggestions on yourself.)


    (The robot attempts to capture you, but you break off its arm.)


    (Robot: You have vited Citizen Code A-001, your sentence is increased by 10,000 years. Your current sentence is...)


    (You stop listening to the robot¡¯s nonsense.)


    (You quickly leave the corridor in search of other clues.)


    (Three robots appear before you.)


    (You are outnumbered.)


    (You are captured by the robots.)


    (The robots pull out a bag and put it over your head.)


    (You struggle incessantly, trying to break the bag.)


    (The bag ispletely airtight, and soon you feel your head heating up, your vision blurring with stars.)


    (You start to suffocate.)


    (You gradually lose consciousness.)


    (You die.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and carefully contemted the situation he just envisioned.


    <i>1. What is Code A-001?</i>


    <i>2. Where is the citizen''s handbook?</i>


    <i>3. How can I safely leave the bedroom?</i>


    Gu Yi released the doorknob and thought carefully for a while.


    The questions 1 and 2 can bebined into one. If he finds the Citizen''s Handbook, the reason why the robot captured him should be clear.


    Question 3 is an urgent issue that needs to be resolved now, but if he doesn''t solve questions 1 and 2, he can''t exin question 3.


    This is almost a vicious circle.


    Gu Yi touched his nose.


    Since he can''t solve the problem, he decided to list the information he already had.


    <i>1. This is a sci-fi world where intelligent robots are everywhere.</i>


    <i>2. ording to the introduction of the dungeon, the people of Wapeng are "prisoners" who, upon reaching adulthood, bear a sentence and must reduce their sentence through specific means. Based on the background of the previous dungeon, it can be spected that this dungeon is probably a post-apocalyptic world where Wapeng fought against the weird but ultimately fell.</i>


    <i>3. The robot previously mentioned that his sentence is ten million years, which should be a critical value. Once it exceeds ten million years, he will be "forcibly executed."</i>


    At this point in his reasoning, Gu Yi finally noticed a contradiction.


    The robot had said, "You will be sent to prison for enforced execution."


    ording to the literal meaning, the robot should not have the authority to enforce thew. Even if he deserved to die, he should be sent to prison first for the enforcement of thew, not killed on the spot.


    Moreover, the way the robot killed him was very strange.


    With the robot''s strength, they could have easily broken his neck, instead of the more troublesome method of suffocating him with a bag.


    <i>Was this done to keep the body intact?</i>


    <i>To avoid external injuries to the body?</i>


    <i>To keep the corridor clean?</i>


    "No, that''s not the reason."


    Gu Yi shook his head, suddenly remembering that there was also a bag under the bed. Although the bag was somewhat yellowed, it looked very simr to the one used by the robot.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    Gu Yi had a bold idea.


    He opened the door, retrieved the bag from under the bed, and started to deduce again.


    "Start deducing!"


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You go to the door, take a few deep breaths, put the bag over your head, and walk out of the room.)


    (The bag is very airtight and obstructs your vision, but as you expected, you are not attacked by the robots.)


    (You use psychological suggestions to calm your breathing, to avoid using up oxygen too quickly.)


    (You feel your way along the wall.)


    (You find arge door ahead, take off the bag, and pinch your nose.)


    (You touch the control switch.)


    (It seems to be a government hall.)


    (Inside there are both humans and robots. Some humans, like you, are wearing bags, while others are not.)


    (Those wearing bags, when they can''t hold their breath any longer, go to a corner.)


    (There is a device that looks like a water dispenser. They pull a tube from the dispenser and put it in the bag.)


    (The bag instantly intes.)


    (You follow their lead, put on the bag, go to the water dispenser-like device, insert the tube into the bag, and press the switch.)


    (You almost faint.)

 Chapter 172: The Starting Point of Adventurers (1)

    <h4>Chapter 172: The Starting Point of Adventurers (1)</h4>


    (The tube sprayed out a foul odor, simr to the earlier smell of dirty socks in the room''s toilet.)


    (You cover the bag and hypnotize yourself into thinking it''s a pleasant perfume.)


    (Your emotions finally stabilize.)


    (Although the gas smells bad, at least it prevents you from suffocating to death.)


    (You guess that the rule you just vited, A-001, might be something like not breathing fresh air.)


    (Now with a sentence of ten million years, you might be a lowest-tier third-ss citizen.)


    (You queue up at the service window.)


    (Service Clerk: What business do you have?)


    (You think for a moment.)


    (You: I want to find a job.)


    (Service Clerk: Please present your citizen ID.)


    (You mimic others and extend your right wrist. The clerk scans it with a device.)


    (Service Clerk: Your current sentence is ten million years. Pleaseplete your tasks as soon as possible. Otherwise, you will be forcibly executed. After reducing your sentence, please immediately rent a service robot from the fence area, and then you can leave the containment station and live in the city.)


    (You: Thank you.)


    (You nod, realizing that you are in a containment station.)


    (Those breathing through bags, like you, are bottom-tier citizens, while those not wearing bags are the staff of the containment station.)


    (You leave the service hall, following the clerk''s directions.)


    (You find the Citizen''s Handbook at the entrance.)


    (Opening it, you see it''s filled with rules starting with the letter ''A'', numbering in the hundreds, seemingly moreplex than a code ofw.)


    (A sentence of ten million to nine million years ssifies as a third-ss citizen, nine million to six million as a second-ss citizen, and six million to one million as a first-ss citizen.)


    (Different citizens must adhere to different rules. Third-ss citizens, for example, have the most rules to follow, such as:)


    (1. No running in public areas.)


    (2. No idleness.)


    (3. No casual conversation with citizens of a higher ss.)


    (4. No staying in a closed space with more than one other third-ss citizen.)


    (5. No discussing or questioning the Citizen''s Code under any circumstances.)


    (These rules are too numerous to list individually, with many being so detailed they dictate which foot to step with in different locations, and breaking them results in additional punishment.)


    (What surprises you more is that the so-called A-001 rule states "personal property is sacred and invible.")


    (Could it be that even fresh air is considered "personal property" here?)


    (Then why can others breathe freely?)


    (Is it because they are higher-ss citizens?)


    (You can''t confirm this, as the rules state you cannot chat with higher-ss citizens or discuss the Citizen''s Handbook under any circumstances.)


    (You specte there are other parts of the Citizen''s Handbook that you''ll only ess as your level increases.)


    (You try to talk to another low-ss citizen like yourself, but they refuse.)


    (The other: I''m in a hurry to work, I don''t have time to chat.)


    (You refill your bag with some air and leave the containment station, following the directions given by the clerk to your destination.)


    (The destination is a small house with no one at the door.)


    (You push the door open.)


    (Less than a minuteter, a robotes over and pins you to the ground.)


    (Robot: You have vited rule A-001. Your sentence is increased by 10,000 years. Your current sentence is ¡ª 1,010,000 years. You will be sent to prison for enforced execution.)


    (You are taken away by the robot.)


    (You arrive at the prison.)


    (Robot: Your sentence exceeds ten million years. You can no longer pay off your sentence. You will be forcibly executed.)


    (You are thrown into an incinerator.)


    (You are turned into fertilizer.)


    (You died.)


    (Deduction ends!)


    "Why is this happening?"


    Gu Yi''s eyes widened in astonishment and he his head in confusion.


    <i>Being unable to breathe freely was one thing, but why was I immediately captured upon entering the room, and specifically for viting rule A-001?</i>


    ...


    In the real world.


    The Dragon Country''s strategy team, undisturbed by the loss of arade, was busily at work. They ced thetest reports of adventurers from various countries on Qu Kangping''s desk.


    A new agent stood in front of the monitor, speaking rapidly with the document in hand:


    "In previous dungeons, all adventurers had the same starting point, but this time there were three:


    1. Containment Station.


    2. Apartment.


    3. Prison.


    First, let''s look at the first location.


    As we could see, Gu Yi''s starting point was the containment station. However, due to his talent and habit of long contemtion, he had not left the toilet area yet. Outside the toilet is a bedroom, and every adventurer who left this bedroom died for viting rule A-001.


    2. Apartment.


    The environment in the apartment was better than in the containment station and the prison, but the adventurers'' start point was in a storeroom. However, they didn''t encounter immediate danger upon leaving the storeroom. An adventurer from Kimchi Country left the apartment and died within three minutes outside for viting rule A-001.


    3. Prison.


    This seemed to be the worst environment, but it actually provided the most information and was the safest of the three starting points. The Citizen''s Handbook was avable for reading in prison,prising three volumes, A, B, and C, each with over fifty pages. Our information team is analyzing the content, which might take a week toplete."


    Qu Kangping frowned.


    Now, the only thing they could confirm was that this dungeon''s host was Dr. W. His design resembled a simtion game, but the hidden dangers were no less than those in Jin Xin''s dungeon.


    It may seem pleasant at first that all an Adventurer had to was work or study, but Dr. W always led them unknowingly toward peril.


    Last time, Chris''s choice for freedom nearly plunged the entire world into crisis.


    If it weren''t for Gu Yi achieving the perfect clearance, Earth would have vanished by now.


    "Xi Wang, what''s your opinion?"


    Qu Kangping lit a cigarette and looked at the new tomboy neer.


    She was tall and looked dashing in appearance.


    She sported a crew cut and wore a sharp suit, making it difficult to discern her gender from her appearance and demeanor. It was only after hearing her voice that Qu Kangping realized she was a woman.


    She was a special agent transferred from the local office and also a retired adventurer, having participated in two dungeon adventures.


    "My opinion?


    My opinion is that we simply cannot find a real-world prototype for this world, or rather, the real-world prototype is our entire human society.


    You''ve said that there''s a mapping rtionship between the weird world and the real world. ording to our usual approach, if we eliminate the prototype in the real world, the difficulty of the dungeon in the weird world would decrease.


    But this time, we can''t do that."


    "Could you borate?"


    "The different starting points already say it all.


    The prison has the most information and is the easiest to start with; the containment station has the least information, and stepping out of the bedroom there is an instant death g; the apartment may not have much information, but its safety is much higher than that of the containment station.


    Do you know how the starting point of an adventurer is determined?"

 Chapter 173: The Starting Point of Adventurers (2)

    <h4>Chapter 173: The Starting Point of Adventurers (2)</h4>


    Qu Kangping shook his head.


    In fact, he had already guessed the answer to a great extent, but he still gave this opportunity to stand out to Xi Wang.


    She was a girl, and moreover a paratrooper.


    She needed to take over Ah Jian''s position, so this was a good opportunity to establish her prestige.


    The strategy team didn''t look at gender or background, but only at capability.


    As long as you are brave and smart enough, everyone will respect you.


    Xi Wang rolled her eyes and picked up a few adventurer profiles on the table.


    "Sakura Country: Hattori Kanon, the young mistress of a Japanese financial conglomerate, famously sociable in the entertainment circle, with countless rumors of rtionships, her spawn point is in prison.


    Lighthouse Country: Arthur, from Gotham City''s middle ss, his family owns a rubber factory, is somewhat wealthy, and spawn point is in an apartment.


    Curry Country: Raj, belonging to the Dalit, also known as the lower caste, spawn point is in the most difficult containment station.


    Did everyone notice any pattern?


    The wealthier the family, the higher the social status, the more famous, the easier the spawn point. Others'' starting points are already what you can never reach.


    Obviously, our Gu Yi was born into an ordinary family, so he had to start from hell difficulty."


    "Well said."


    Qu Kangping nodded, Xi Wang''s analysis waspletely in line with his own view.


    Other agents nced at Xi Wang, asking, "Captain Xi, what should we do next?"


    Xi Wang turned her head and nced at the monitor.


    At this moment, Gu Yi was still propping his chin, sitting on the toilet in thought. And here people were unsure of what he was thinking.


    "We don''t have much to do, continue to deal with keyboard warriors, even if the adventurers can''t see thesements, we find them annoying."


    "Yes."


    The agents concluded the meeting and left the conference room.


    Gu Yi was still sitting on the toilet in thought, Xi Wang felt somewhat bored, so she switched to another channel.


    The girl from Sakura Country, Kanon, had safely left the prison, heading to her next destination which is her workce, wearing a specially made helmet on her head, from Kanon''s expression, it was not hard to guess that the helmet was ufortable to wear.


    The adventurer from Curry Country rashly left the dormitory and was captured by a robot in less than three minutes, so far, no adventurer had sessfully left the containment station.


    Qu Kangping smacked his lips, deliberately asking, "Why did the robot capture him? Because of polluting the air? Or to put a hood on him?"


    "Maybe not." Xi Wang leaned on the chair, "You should have seen the first sentence outside the door, right? ''Private property is sacred and invible'', what if the air outside the dormitory is also considered private property?"


    "Hmm."


    Qu Kangping looked at Xi Wang approvingly, this perspective was something even he hadn''t thought of.


    Xi Wang continued to switch channels, this time''s adventurer''s spawn point was still in the containment station, and his face looked a bit pale, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock of entering the weird world for the first time.


    ording to the profile, his name was Dennis, from a small country in Northern Europe.


    Dennis walked out of the toilet, like others, searching for clues in the dormitory, but found nothing. In the end, he could only pack all his clothes into a stic bag, leaving the dormitory with all his belongings.


    "Ah, another one heading to his death."


    Xi Wang shook her head, dragging her chin boredly.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, Dennis left the dormitory with a calm face, and no robot stopped him.


    He sessfully went to the service window to receive a new job, then left the containment station.


    Dennis seemed to have a severe case of germophobia; he was always careful to avoid puddles and mud on the ground, never touching dirty ces.


    His smooth journey wasparable to a science fiction movie.


    "How did he do it?"


    "Let me check his profile."


    Xi Wang quickly opened the notebook in front of her, checking the information.


    "Dennis, on the surface, is a worker, but he had worked as a hitman ten years ago, sessfully assassinating many celebrities. His specialty is using traffic idents and idental assassinations.


    Dennis''s real name is Wild Dog Yamada, he is from Sakura Country, and changed his identity to escape a manhunt, spending most of his savings to flee to a small country in Northern Europe seeking asylum.


    It''s said he was summoned while driving to work, causing a traffic ident, a well-known capitalist died in this ident."


    Qu Kangping blinked, "I don''t even have this information, where did you get it?"


    "I have my own sources of information."


    "Impressive. However, his career doesn''t seem to exin why he didn''t die."


    "Hmm... maybe because he unlocked some kind of rare talent, after all, this is his first time in the weird world, he must have used the power of his talent to avoid the first death g."


    ...


    Weird World.


    Gu Yi sat on the toilet and began to deduce again.


    (Backtracking deduction begins!)


    (You have arrived at your destination.)


    (You stand at the door, take off your shoes, gently tap off the dust on them, then use your fingernails to pick out the mud from the crevices of the soles, and throw it on the ground.)


    (After doing all this, you step into the gate.)


    (You wait at the entrance for a while, and indeed, no robotes to capture you.)


    (This ce is called the Space Jump Base, equivalent to a long-distance bus station on Earth, except this bus station is used for interster travel.)


    (You go to the service window, and submit your materials.)


    (The clerk shoves the equipment you need into your hands.)


    (Clerk: This is the breathing equipment you need, the ce you''re going to has no oxygen. The rental price of the equipment is one year of imprisonment per hour, we will settle the cost after youplete the task and return.)


    (You: Understood.)


    (You follow the instructions to the teleportation tform.)


    (You step onto the teleportation tform.)


    (There is nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    "Hmm... I finally understand what''s going on."


    Gu Yi touched his nose, sighing helplessly.


    He had basically figured out the worldview now.


    This is a highly developed future world, where people are divided into three sses, the lower the ss, the lower the freedom, and the more dangerous the jobs avable.


    Rule A-001 states "Private property is sacred and invible," but the definition of private property is very perverse.


    Air, soil, water.


    These originallymon natural resources are now considered private property, even the bodies of citizens after death are considered unspeakable''s private property.


    Third-ss citizens cannot freely breathe air; they can only breathe exhaust, foul, turbid air, and they cannot even take outdoor soil away, they must clean the dust and mud from their shoes before entering indoor buildings.


    Even in the real world, the most inhumane capitalists couldn''t go this far.


    If the perfect clearance condition for the dungeon is to kill the "big capitalist" behind this world, then it is almost an impossible task.

 Chapter 174: The Method of Calculating Sentences

    <h4>Chapter 174: The Method of Calcting Sentences</h4>


    Gu Yi stood up from the toilet and washed his face at the sink.


    Up to now, all his conclusions were just guesses. The dungeon gave him a whole month, which was enough for him to slowly uncover the worldview of the dungeon and the unspeakable''s weaknesses.


    Gu Yi had figured out all the instant-death gs along the way and safely arrived at the space jump station.


    The breathing apparatus weighed about twenty pounds, somewhat heavy on his back.


    However, the character Gu Yi yed had good physical strength, and he could also use psychological suggestions on himself without limit, so this piece of equipment was nothing to him.


    The staff led Gu Yi alone to the teleportation tform, emphasizing the precautions over and over again.


    "Remember, the breathing apparatus you''re carrying is very expensive, it can''t be damaged even if you die."


    Gu Yi wanted to ask something, but remembering that the staff were second-ss citizens and he had no right to chat with them, he closed his mouth.


    "Understood."


    "Alright, then go in. Your task is to collect T-091 minerals, you should see your coworkers after you get there, good luck."


    Gu Yi nodded and stepped onto the teleportation tform.


    Passing through a void.


    Gu Yi''s feet touched the ground again, he looked around, it was an underground mine, with the sound of mining clinking in the distance. He didn''t rush into the depths but stood at the entrance and closed his eyes.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You walk into the mine entrance.)


    (You find that all the coworkers inside are third-ss citizens like you.)


    (The only one not working is a second-ss citizen, followed by a palm-sized robot floating beside him, acting as a supervisor.)


    (You guess, this is the "service robot" mentioned earlier.)


    (You approach the second-ss citizen.)


    (You: I''m new here.)


    (Second-ss citizen: Go straight and turn left, to that mine pit inside.)


    (You follow the instructions and go there.)


    (You arrive at the destination, work as the second-ss citizen requested, and find that the so-called T-091 mineral is actually the raw material for making dream fragments.)


    (You think for a while, and while no one is around, you secretly hide some T-091 in the ck orb.)


    (Every time you use the ck orb, it consumes 5-10 points of mental power, varying with the size of the item taken.)


    (You work hard.)


    (In one hour, you collect more than twenty pounds of T-091, your efficiency is double that of all your coworkers.)


    (You find your coworkers'' looks are not friendly.)


    (You hand over the minerals, and you get 15 years of sentence reduction, but your breathing apparatus adds 10 year of sentence per hour, your gain is only 5 years per hour.)


    (However, to upgrade from a third-ss citizen to a second-ss citizen, you need one million years of sentence reduction. That is, you need to work non-stop for 20,000 hours, a total of 22 years.)


    (The second-ss citizen, finding you have the highest mining efficiency, then sets new requirements for everyone.)


    (Second-ss citizen: From now on, everyone must mine twenty pounds per hour, those who are below this efficiency will have their mining ie halved.)


    (Everyone sighs in despair but dares not say anything.)


    (A coworker walks up to you and intentionally bumps you with his shoulder.)


    (Coworker: What are you showing off for?)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi scratched his head.


    In this worldview, the sentence is more like a debt in the real world, and working to get a sentence reduction is like paying off debt.


    Eating, buying things, are also settled with the sentence.


    Since all food ingredients are private property, once consumed, it needs to bepensated for by adding sentences, theoretically, it''s impossible for a third-ss citizen to upgrade through merebor.


    This time, Gu Yi decided not to stand out too much. He wanted to act more mediocre, to observe how others worked.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You take the mining tools and go to the designated mine pit to work.)


    (You look around, everyone is working slowly and rhythmically.)


    (You mimic their style of mining but don''t forget to secretly take some minerals to hide in the ck orbs''s space.)


    (You work for an hour, queueing up to submit the minerals to the second-ss citizen.)


    (The second-ss citizen controls the robot to check everyone''s work.)


    (Everyone''s mining weight is between 9-12 pounds, at most, they can only get 11 years of sentence reduction.)


    (You realize the amount of sentence reduction is not linearly umtive, the more you mine, the less the sentence reduction benefits, mining 12 pounds of minerals is the most cost-effective.)


    (If someone''s mining quantity is too high, the supervisor will raise the passing line.)


    (In the short term, you may gain more, but in the long term, this will increase everyone''s workload, but not significantly increase everyone''s ie.)


    (Second-ss citizen: Youzy bastards, how could you possibly reduce your sentence like this? Only hard work can get you a sentence reduction, can get you freedom, you know? I was also a miner, but I became a supervisor in less than a year, what do you think I relied on? It was my hard work and faith.)


    (Miners listened with their heads down, some whispering at the back, seemingly not taking the supervisor seriously.)


    (You find many miners are in their forties or fifties, you approach them and whisper.)


    (You: Big brother, how many years of sentence do you have?)


    (Miner: Nine hundred and eighty million, I guess.)


    (You: How long have you worked?)


    (Miner: Worked in this mine for twenty or thirty years? I can''t remember, are you new here? Your parents must also be third-ss citizens, right?)


    (You don''t speak.)


    (Miner: See that kid on the tform? When he was a miner, he cked off every day, but because his parents were first-ss citizens, they made enough sacrifices to get him where he is today.)


    (You: What did his parents sacrifice?)


    (Miner: That, I don''t know. Things about the upper ss, not something we can specte. I''ve only heard that where first-ss citizens live, even the air is fragrant, and they can add two eggs to their noodles. That''s really luxurious, an egg is worth at least a month''s sentence.)


    (You nod silently.)


    (The miner''s words are a good source of information, suggesting a path to promotion.)


    (As long as you can find a way to curry favor with the supervisor, you can get sentence reduction rewards.)


    (In this mining area, the supervisor is the only ruler.)


    (The supervisor is still speaking.)


    (Supervisor: Today''s work target is far from achieved, after dinner, continue to work overtime for two hours, not allowed to rest until the target is met. Dismiss.)


    (Miners queue up to leave, heading to the living area.)


    (The food here needs to be purchased with sentences, to fill the stomach, at least half a year''s sentence is needed every day.)


    (This is an unavoidable expense.)

 Chapter 175: Xi Wang’s Bad Habits

    <h4>Chapter 175: Xi Wang''s Bad Habits</h4>


    (Your hourly earnings after all the reductions are only one year off your sentence per hour, working at least 10 hours a day can get you a 10-year sentence reduction.)


    (In the mine, working overtime does not earn extra rewards, but you still need to work day and night.)


    (After finishing your meal, you worked overtime for a while.)


    (When the work was over, you left the mine.)


    (There is nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You stopped the deduction!)


    This time, the deduction basically rified the entire work process, but he still hasn''t found a breakthrough.


    A coworker once hinted that the supervisor in the mine has an extraordinary family background, so Gu Yi decided to try to take control of the supervisor in the deduction.


    (The backtracking deduction begins!)


    (After finishing your meal, you try tomunicate with the supervisor.)


    (You use psychological suggestions on the supervisor.)


    (The supervisor walks towards you, but the service robot next to him arrives first.)


    (Robot: You have vited rule C-034, your sentence is increased by ten thousand years...)


    (You use your ck orb to capture the robot.)


    (The supervisor is startled and immediately recovers from the state of psychological suggestion.)


    (Soon, arge number of robots flood into the mine and capture you.)


    (Robot: You have vited rule A-001, your sentence is increased by ten thousand years...)


    (You are taken to prison by the robots.)


    (You stopped the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and pondered for a while.


    Clearly, rule C-034 must be rted to weird powers. The characters in this dungeon have weak mental strength; his skills could easily overpower them, but the robots are highly sensitive.


    The containment center''s clerk had mentioned that to move freely, one must own a service robot. The robot''s role, presumably, is surveince; it can detect citizens breaking the rules and increase their penalties instantly.


    Moreover, service robots cannot be easily destroyed; damaging a service robot would lead to more robots arresting him.


    Therefore, before proceeding, he must find a way to shield himself from the robots or find the supervisor''s weakness without using his abilities.


    "Hey, newbie, what are you standing there for?"


    The supervisor finally noticed Gu Yi, who was standing there in a daze, and came over, scolding him without any niceness.


    "Sorry."


    Gu Yi, with a smile on his face, walked up to the supervisor.


    "This is your work tool, hurry up and go to work in the mine ahead."


    "Ok."


    Gu Yi took the tool and began working diligently.


    To test the specific functions and the sensing range limit of the service robot, Gu Yi used his talent again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You steal a few ore stones with a ck orb, and the service robot does not react.)


    (You continue to approach, only two or three meters away from the service robot, you turn your back to the robot and activate the ck orb function again.)


    (The robot''s probe looks towards you, still not detecting anything.)


    (As you expected, as long as you do not perform creation out of nothing in front of the robots, they cannot detect any abnormalities.)


    (You stay as far away from the robots as possible, even through very deep mine tunnels.)


    (You use psychological suggestions on a coworker.)


    (The robot immediately rushes over.)


    (Robot: You have vited rule C-034, your sentence is increased by ten thousand years...)


    (You stopped the deduction!)


    Robots have an extensive detection range, covering the entire mine, making it impossible to escape their surveince.


    Fortunately, the orb is the only bug in this world, the sole thing that can bypass the robot''s scrutiny.


    Gu Yi continued to work diligently, following the rules.


    ...


    In the real world.


    On the screen, Gu Yi was seen working while secretly hiding the ore.


    "Why has Gu Yi started to act like a thief?"


    "This ore looks quite valuable, doesn''t it? What if someone sees him?"


    "If he dares to do this, it means he''s 100% sure he won''t get caught. Don''t you guys know Gu Yi yet?"


    The viewers were having a heated discussion in thements.


    At this moment, the Dragon Country strategy team had decrypted the first page of rule A.


    The rule A-001, was just as Xi Wang guessed.


    "How about that?" Xi Wang proudly patted her chest. "I was right, wasn''t I? In this world, even the air belongs to private property, and the owner of the air is the unspeakable entity behind this copy."


    The team members looked at Xi Wang with new respect.


    "Well said."


    "Captain Xi''s insight is impressive."


    Xi Wang took out her phone, and logged onto the dark web, where people were betting on how many days the adventurers could survive.


    Qu Kangping nced curiously and couldn''t help but ask in a low voice:


    "How do you get involved with this stuff?"


    "I''m just looking, not betting."


    "I saw you''re VIP level 7."


    "It''s a borrowed ount, a borrowed ount." Xi Wang hurriedly closed the webpage. "There''s a lot of intelligence on the dark web. It''s a means for me to gather information."


    Qu Kangping raised an eyebrow. "As agents, we''re not allowed to gamble, especially not this kind of betting. Give me your phone."


    "Huh? What are you doing?"


    "This is an order."


    Qu Kangping snatched Xi Wang''s phone and immediately helped her delete the ount.


    Xi Wang was stunned, looking at Qu Kangping in disbelief. "Bro... why would you do this?"


    "It''s the rules. The first time is a warning, the next time it will be a suspension. Write a report and bring it to my office after work."


    "I''m sorry, team leader."


    Xi Wang muttered, not knowing what else to say. She had picked up this bad habit when many around her gambled while she worked locally.


    Thinking she could openly check the betting markets and not restrain herself in a new workce, she had thought Qu Kangping would be easy to talk to. She hadn''t expected him to be so merciless.


    "Well, if it''s deleted, then it''s deleted."


    Xi Wang grumbled to herself and continued to watch the monitor.


    This copy had two other adventurers who caught Xi Wang''s attention.


    One was Dennis from Northern Europe, and the other was Hattori Kanon from the Sakura Country. She switched to Dennis''s channel and heard Dennis''s shocking statement.


    ...


    In the Weird world.


    Dennis arrived at the space jump station, and when the staff offered him breathing equipment, Dennis refused.


    "You don''t need it?"


    "Yes."


    "The air where you''ll be working contains deadly toxins; without the equipment, you''ll be poisoned to death."


    "Breathing apparatuses are too expensive, a waste to carry."


    "Alright, if you say so."


    The staff shook his head.


    Nowadays, there were many people like Dennis, trading their lives for a reduced sentence. Rather than doing this, it would be better to die outright. At least then, one could be used as fertilizer after death.


    If one died of poisoning, even as fertilizer, it would still pollute the environment.


    Led by the staff, Dennis arrived at the mine.


    Among the many workers, Dennis stood out.


    Because he was the only one not wearing a mask.

 Chapter 176: Dennis’s Bet

    <h4>Chapter 176: Dennis''s Bet</h4>


    "New here?"


    "Yes."


    "Go work in this mine."


    The supervisor shook his head, issued Dennis his tools, and then stopped paying any further attention. People like him didn''tst an hour in the mines; he just hoped Dennis would die far away.


    Dennis, carrying his tools, quickly started working. Although he didn''t say a word, his ears were not idle.


    "Howe the new guy isn''t wearing a mask?"


    "Does he want to die?"


    "Shall we make a bet? I bet he dies within thirty minutes, one year off my sentence."


    "He looks strong; I bet an hour, one year off my sentence."


    <i>So, sentences could be traded?</i>


    <i>That means there are ways to reduce one''s sentence other than just working.</i>


    Thinking this, Dennis immediately straightened up and approached these workers, extending three fingers, saying:


    "Count me in. If I don''tst thirty minutes, I''ll give each of you three years from my pay. If I do, each of you will give me one year. How about it?"


    There were five workers participating in the bet, and the gamble didn''t seem to favor Dennis''s side.


    "Deal, we''ll take that bet!"


    The workers witnessed each other''s promises, making an oath.


    Even if Dennis died before thirty minutes, the workers had ways to "transfer" their own sentence to Dennis, so they weren''t worried about him reneging on the deal.


    "Ok."


    Dennis turned back to work.


    Meanwhile, the others went about their tasks while watching Dennis for entertainment.


    Surprisingly, not only did Dennis not show any signs of difort, but he also worked with increasing vigor. After ten minutes, the others began to notice something odd.


    Dennis wasn''t breathing.


    Thirty minutes in, Dennis extended his right hand towards them, "I''vested more than thirty minutes. Shouldn''t you be giving me what you owe?"


    "You monster..."


    "Are you a modified human?"


    "How could a modified human be a third-ss citizen?"


    The workers were frustrated but extended their right hands nheless.


    Dennis carefully observed their actions. They slid their wrists in a ''z'' pattern, then pressed their wrists against his. Immediately, his sentence was reduced by one year.


    Dennis mimicked their action, sliding a ''z'' on his wrist, finally seeing his remaining sentence: 999,999,995 years.


    "Hey, are you really a modified human?"


    "Yeah, did you get demoted from a first-ss citizen? Do first-ss citizens eat two eggs with every meal?"


    Dennis ignored their questions and continued to work.


    Without more knowledge of the world''s background, he dared not say much. Seeing Dennis unwilling to chat, the workers turned back to their tasks.


    Dennis was fearless, relying on his unique talent.


    <i>A-ss talent, Zombie Constitution.</i>


    This constitution significantly boosts human endurance, allowing one to stay awake for three days and nights, immune to suffocation and poison, but unable to eat normal food, only raw or rotten food. That''s why Dennis could breathe nothing at all and still wasn''t afraid of the mine''s toxins.


    ...


    Flowers bloom on both sides, each telling its own story.


    Most adventurers, after securing their first job, headed straight to the mines to work.


    Some careless adventurers were penalized for having mud on their shoes and leaves in their hair and were sent to jail. Now, before even the first day''s noon, less than twenty adventurers remained.


    While everyone else was scrambling, Hattori Kanon was the only one with time to wander.


    Kanon found citizen handbooks A, B, and C in the prison. Third-ss citizens must follow all three, second-ss only B and C, and first-ss only C.


    Additionally, Kanon was lucky to draw an SSS-ss talent, <i>"Hive Mind."</i>


    This talent could connect with adventurers in other dungeons, gathering more intelligence.


    However, this powerful ability seemed somewhat redundant in this dungeon, as the use of Hive Mind required awork or simr technology (like the Magic Network in magical worlds).


    As a third-ss citizen, Kanon had no right to use the Inte.


    Before that, she needed to find a quick way to get promoted.


    Unlike others, Kanon didn''t need to wear a sack over her head; a helmet that continuously provided "dirty air" was enough, but it could only be used for one day.


    This was the second benefit of being born in prison.


    Kanon first went to the contamination station.


    "Hello, I''m looking for a job."


    "Show me your sentence."


    Kanon, mimicking others, extended her right hand. The worker tested it and said, "You''re a third-ss citizen; you can only work in the mines."


    "Mining?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you see these thin arms and legs? How can I mine?"


    "Sorry, I can''t help you." The worker pointed to a pile of breathing equipment, "You need to wear a breathing mask to go to the mine, ten years off your sentence per hour. You can pay off the debt when you return. Do you want to rent one?"


    "Not for now."


    Kanon shook her head and left the shelter.


    Selling physicalbor was something lower-ss people did, and simply sellingbor couldn''t possibly meet the mission''s target in just a month.


    There had to be a better way!


    The A-level rules required third-ss citizens not tomunicate with higher-ss citizens, so even if Kanon encountered higher-ss citizens on the street, she couldn''t approach them.


    Losing the channel ofmunication naturally blocked the path to ascension.


    After a moment of thought, Kanon didn''t believe this world offered only one path, so she wandered the city, eventually discovering something unusual in a back alley.


    This area had no patrolling police robots, only a service robot hovering above the street, its appearance rusted, making creaking noises as it moved.


    Here were all third-ss citizens, but Kanon noticed their skin was much smoother, with hardly any calluses on their palms.


    Clearly, they were not physicalborers.


    Perhaps, she could learn from them a way to make money.


    Deep in the streets, Kanon found a man with a cold gaze, the only person not wearing a sack or helmet on his head. He looked at her menacingly, as if he wanted to devour her.


    She was somewhat afraid.


    However, as A-level rules specified that third-ss citizens couldn''t use any violence, and with service robots overhead, Kanon felt secure.


    "New face, first time on ck Street?"


    "Yes."


    "Ha, something must''ve happened at home, huh? Did you revolt?"

 Chapter 177: City Exploration

    <h4>Chapter 177: City Exploration</h4>


    The man, named Er Gou (Second Dog), is a thug from the ck Street.


    Despite being a thug, Er Gou has a keen eye.


    The woman in front of him, with her fair skin, doesn''t look like a typical third-ss citizen. Aren''t all other third-ss female citizens broad and sturdy, looking almost like men?


    People like her usuallye from families that have encountered major trouble, where parents had to sacrifice their own lives for their daughters''.


    Suchdies, who have never needed to work for a living, find it impossible to secure jobs in the shantytowns and often resort to underhanded methods to survive, including selling their bodies when desperate.


    Kanon didn''t understand what Er Gou was getting at; she simply pointed at his head.


    "Why can you breathe the air here?"


    "Is that any of your business? My sentence is short enough for me to breathe till I die."


    "How did you manage that? Just tell me, and I can fulfill any request of yours."


    "You''re not worthy to know."


    Er Gou shook his head.


    Such a woman, as stupid as a pig, yet so arrogantly spoken. He thought he could gain some advantage from her, but she didn''t know how to speak properly.


    Er Gou stood up to leave, but Kanon stopped him with her hand.


    "What do you want?"


    "I said, I can fulfill any request of yours." Kanon raised an eyebrow, unbuttoning one of her shirt buttons.


    Er Gou''s face visibly elongated, and he scoffed, "Sorry, I''m gay. Try that trick on someone else."


    "..."


    Kanon frowned, still blocking Er Gou''s path, "I don''t believe you. When I passed by earlier, you were clearly staring at my legs."


    "Are you sick? In this kind of environment, who''s interested in that? Do you still think you''re a first-ss citizen? We third-ss citizens are already tired of living, let alone wasting energy on women."


    Er Gou pushed Kanon away and left.


    Kanon bit her lip, convinced that this man was a very special character in the plot, and she could extract useful information from him.


    Now, she justcked an opportunity.


    With this thought, Kanon didn''t hesitate to follow him. She had to find out what this man''s needs were.


    ...


    Gu Yi finished work, leaving the mine and returning his breathing equipment.


    After settling up, Gu Yi only managed to reduce his sentence by 10 years, a meager gain.


    Looking around at his fellow workers, each wore a rusty helmet, allowing them to move freely on the streets.


    After asking around, Gu Yi obtained a helmet at the cost of adding 8 years to his sentence.


    Even worse, the helmet would require charging,sting up to 24 hours per charge, with each charge adding 5 years to his sentence.


    The helmet provided polluted air, making one dizzy, but Gu Yi had no choice but to wear it to explore the city for extended periods.


    "InhaleExhaleThis is perfume, this is perfume."


    Gu Yi hypnotized himself, feeling somewhat better.


    To not waste time, Gu Yi decided to deduce right at the entrance of the space jump station.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You leave the station.)


    (Walking down the street, high-ss citizens are rare, with about one second-ss citizen seen per hundred people, and almost no first-ss citizens.)


    (It''s peak time for everyone finishing work.)


    (Most second-ss citizense out of government buildings, working there as clerks.)


    (You head towards the city center.)


    (The closer you get, the fewer police robots and more service robots you see. The police robots keep an eye on you, as if worried you mightmit a crime.)


    (An hour further, you notice almost no third-ss citizens, with busy second-ss citizens everywhere.)


    (They carry briefcases, running around, their busy demeanor no different from Earth''s.)


    (Every second-ss citizen has a service robot floating above their head. Obviously, one of the conditions to be a second-ss citizen is to own a personal service robot.)


    (As you try to proceed further, police robots surround you.)


    (Robot: ording to rule B-003, you have no right to enter this area. Please leave immediately. Further intrusion will result in a 10,000-year sentence penalty.)


    (You turn around and leave.)


    (You guess that the rules of category B can only be understood after upgrading.)


    (You continue down the street, heading towards the city''s edge.)


    (The further to the edge you go, the fewer service robots and more police robots there are.)


    (You find a strange street in the southeast corner of the city.)


    (There are almost no police robots here, just a service robot floating above the city.)


    (You enter the street, wandering around.)


    (People notice you''re a new face, giving you a nce before quickly leaving.)


    (In a back alley, you find a strange man, the only third-ss citizen not wearing a helmet.)


    (You''re surprised.)


    (You approach to start a conversation.)


    (You: Hello.)


    (The man looks up at you, touching his chin with a suspicious gesture.)


    (You: Can I ask how you manage to breathe here without a helmet?)


    (Man: You want to know?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Man: If you spend a night with me, I''ll tell you.)


    (You: Spend a night?)


    (The man starts to make unwee advances.)


    (You punch the man in the nose, surprised that you''ve actually been molested by a man.)


    (Man: Someone''s using violence here!)


    (The man''s shout attracts a service robot.)


    (The robot takes a good look at you and calls for more police robots.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Damn, what kind of freaks are these?"


    Gu Yi touched his backside, still in shock.


    That man must be an NPC with a special role, but why is the XP system so weird?


    Honestly, Gu Yi would rather jump off a building than sell himself.


    After some thought, Gu Yi decides to confront the man again.


    (Backtracking deduction begins!)


    (You stand in front of the strange man, keeping a distance of one and a half meters.)


    (You: Can you tell me why you don''t need to wear a helmet?)


    (The man stands up and walks towards you.)


    (Man: You really want to know? Just spend one night with me.)


    (Youugh coldly and use psychological suggestion on the man.)


    (The man freezes in ce, struggling against your mental force.)


    (Eventually, the man fails and stands before you, not daring to make another move.)


    (You nce at the service robot in the sky, which indeed doesn''te to bother you.)


    (As you suspected, the man has the ability to block the service robots.)

 Chapter 178 Full

    (You grab the man''s cor.)


    (You: Tell me, how did you do it? Why are you able to block the sensors of the service robots?)


    (Man: I don''t know, I really don''t know.)


    (You increase the output of your mental power.)


    (The man''s forehead starts to sweat.)


    (Man: I really don''t know. Every night from 7:00 to 11:00, the service robots here are blocked from sensing, so Ie here to breathe some fresh air. Big brother, please don''t report me, I am willing to give you 10 years in exchange, please let me go.)


    (You push the man away.)


    (The man cries and sobs, the effect of the psychological suggestion still not dissipating, he quickly lowers his head and runs away, disappearing at the end of the street.)


    (You look around.)


    (Finally, you find a hollow floor tile in the corner of the wall.)


    (You dig up the floor tile and find a pulling ring inside.)


    (You pull the ring.)


    (A current shes.)


    (You are electrocuted to a crisp.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and looked towards the southeast corner of the city.


    That street, known as Dark Street, is a ce hiding secrets, but the difficulty lies in how to unearth those secrets. He pondered for a moment; since that ce is not monitored by service robots, could I do something even more outrageous?


    The man had said, at a fixed time every day, Dark Street would block monitoring. Even thinking with one''s toes, one would know that it''s a good ce for criminals to gather.


    I should observe for a while longer and not rush into investigation.


    Thinking this, Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You arrive at Dark Street.)


    (You climb to the rooftop of a nearby building, secretly observing.)


    (The man squats in the corner until eight o''clock at night.)


    (He gets up from the ground and wanders around the street for a while before leaving.)


    (The gaps between buildings are so small, you can easily jump from one building to another, thus following the man.)


    (You discover that this man has a strong anti-surveince awareness, even though you are tracking him from the rooftop, he still keeps looping around.)


    (You guess that thest time you used psychological suggestion on him, he was pretending, he only revealed a part of the obvious information and did not tell the whole truth.)


    (Even you touching the electrifying ring might have been deliberately guided by him.)


    (Normal people cannot achieve this level.)


    (Only like the strategy group''s agents who have undergone professional psychological training, can one possibly have a certain resistance.)


    (After wandering around for a long time, the man finally goes home.)


    (You miss your chance.)


    (You leave the rooftop ande to the back of the man''s house.)


    (Other people live in crowded tube buildings, but the man lives in a shanty, looking dpidated by appearance, as if it might copse if there''s wind or rain.)


    (You dare not get too close, only stealing nces from a distance.)


    (The man doesn''t turn on the light, but you can hear him talking on the phone with someone.)


    (ording to the set of A-level rules, third-ss citizens are not entitled to use anymunication tools, and the man''s house is so dpidated, obviously, he can''t afford a phone.)


    (You specte, the man must be a criminal in this world, and possibly a small gang leader. You decide not to have a direct conflict with him until you fully understand his background.)


    (You hear a series of footsteps.)


    (You quickly flip over and hide in a garbage bin.)


    (The footsteps stop, followed by a knock on the door.)


    (You lift the lid of the garbage bin slightly to peek outside.)


    (A curvaceous woman in revealing clothes stands at the man''s door, making you frown.)


    (The man ims he is gay, but in fact, he swings both ways, unable to resist loneliness at night.)


    (The man opens the door, and freezes upon seeing the woman.)


    (Man: You still have the face toe back?)


    (Woman: This is my house, why can''t Ie back?)


    (Man: I don''t have a daughter like you.)


    (You are greatly shocked.)


    (The man pushes the woman out and then closes the door.)


    (The woman stands at the door for a while, then turns and leaves.)


    (You leave the garbage bin and secretly follow the woman.)


    (The woman leaves Dark Street andes to a somewhat cleaner street next door, she leans against the wall, lighting a cigarette.)


    (You walk up to her.)


    (You: I have something to talk to you about.)


    (Woman: 5 years.)


    (You: I''m not asking for that...)


    (Woman: Then don''t waste my time.)


    (You extend your right hand.)


    (You: Alright then, 5 years it is.)


    (Woman: Do you have a ce? If not, follow me.)


    (You: No, you follow me.)


    (You take the woman to Dark Street, where you can freely use your skills.)


    (It''s too dark, you can''t see the woman''s expression clearly.)


    (You secretly use psychological suggestion on the woman, and you notice she moves a bit closer to you, the psychological suggestion works.)


    (You: Why do you do this job?)


    (Woman: Why do all you men like to ask this question?)


    (You: Just asking.)


    (Woman: My family is sick, and the treatment requires me to add a million years to my sentence, if I add another million years, I''ll be fertilizer. I have no other choice but toe out and sell. )


    (The woman speaks very fast, her eyes somewhat evasive, you know she is lying, but you do not expose her.)


    (You: Then why don''t you find a better job?)


    (Woman: I''m a third-ss citizen, what kind of job can I choose? Mining, waiter, janitor, it''s good enough to reduce three years of sentence in a day. Can I support my family and myself like this?)


    (You: There are always ways, there are many opportunities if you try hard...)


    (Woman: Stop talking nonsense. Your face, just like those second-ss citizens, always uses these ghost words to deceive us. You always say it so lightly, but where is life that simple? If I could find a job that reduces a lot of sentences easily, why would I sell my dignity here?)


    (You: At least your father has always been trying for this.)


    (The woman stops, and extends her right hand, wanting to return the sentence to you.)


    (Woman: You must be the negotiator sent by my old man, right? I''m not doing business with you anymore.)


    (You: I don''t quite understand...)


    (Woman: Do you know how my mother died? She stayed in the mining area too long, reluctant to change her breathing mask, and eventually died of lung disease, her lungs turned ck before she died. When turning into fertilizer, those hardened lungs couldn''t even be burned by the incinerator. At that time, I swore, I''d rather suck on strangers'' di*k than bear a heavy breathing mask!)


    (The woman lights a cigarette, and takes a deep drag.)


    (Woman: Sometimes I especially like to do business with second-ss citizens, they tip very generously. It''s just a pity, sometimes I have to serve several people at once, kneeling on the ground like a dog wagging its tail. Because of Series A rules, we can''t be alone with high-ss citizens. Serving them is tiring, but at least it''s not like you, such a loser, talking so much nonsense.)


    (The woman walks away.)


    (You stand there, not knowing what to say.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)

 Chapter 179: The Gloom of War

    <h4>Chapter 179: The Gloom of War</h4>


    Gu Yi stood still, lost in thought.


    The first time he saw the man''s daughter, Gu Yi thought she might be a breakthrough. But he soon realized he had no idea where to start.


    Because he found, once again, that he couldn''t persuade the daughter.


    Despite the fact that his interaction with thedysted less than three minutes, he still couldn''t recover from that shock.


    Is it really true, as the supervisor said, that third-ss citizens remain third-ss citizens for their entire lives because they arezy?


    No.


    Third-ss citizens are third-ss citizens because the upper sses have closed all the paths to advancement, leaving them to strive at the bottomno, "struggle" is a more appropriate word than "strive."


    Mining is already the most lucrative job, but many third-ss citizens have mined for twenty or thirty years and still can''t shed the title of third-ss citizen.


    Perhaps life finally starts to improve, only to end in disease and death, eventually bing nourishment for the city.


    When people die, they are pushed into the incinerator at death, and their ckened, hardened lungs can''t even be melted by the high mes.


    Gu Yi realized his emotions were bing unmanageable and immediately used psychological suggestion on himself to dispel those negative emotions.


    "Dark Street is a good ce to base myself. I should find a way to rent a house there and then explore slowly."


    With his mind made up, Gu Yi headed towards Dark Street.


    ...


    In the real world.


    <i>"This superisor talks just like ourpany''s boss."</i>


    <i>"I don''t know why, but I feel like this dungeon has be too realistic, so realistic that I think adventurers can''t possiblyplete the mission."</i>


    <i>"There''s no weird power in this dungeon, but I feel this might be the most hopeless one. Because I can''t see a glimmer of hope for a turnaround. Goodbye, brothers, I''ve decided tomit suicide."</i>


    <i>"Hey, don''t think like that, upstairs!"</i>


    <i>"Quick, call the police!"</i>


    <i>"No need to call the police, the guy just now is from the kimchi country, their country is now in a state of anarchy, the police can''t save people in time."</i>


    <i>"It''s over..."</i>


    The barrage was in an uproar.


    It''s only the first day of the dungeon, and adventurers from over a dozen countries have failed. Most people die shortly after leaving the spawn point.


    Previously, the weird powers that invaded reality had physical forms, but this time''s weird power is an intangible mental pressure.


    It causes the people of the failing countries topletely lose their will to live, with suicide rates soaring unprecedentedly. It also utterly destroys people''s expectations for life, especially those living at the bottom, who are less able to resist this pressure.


    This weird power erodes not only the lower ss but also the so-called elite ss. The social elite be more irritable and prone to anger, with a noticeable increase in the crime rate.


    Overnight, cases of arson, r@pe, and murder by the elite ss surged. In a small country in Eastern Europe, even the police havepletely given up, going on strike, and the government building is now left with only two pirs.


    At this point, thirteen countries have entered a state of anarchy.


    Violent conflicts have broken out at the borders of the Dragon Country and the small countries it borders, and the situation is escting.


    Although there are still a dozen or so adventurers alive, the whole world has fallen into dire straits, with the possibility ofrge-scale war breaking out at any moment.


    The Dragon Country''s strategy team is also in chaos.


    No one expected this weird power to be so tricky.


    Xi Wang knocked on the table and said with a smile, "Didn''t I say it? If this world has an archetype, then the archetype is our entire human society. I bet fifty cents..."


    "Don''t talk about betting anymore."


    "Alright."


    Xi Wang nodded, realizing that Qu Kangping was a man without a sense of humor. It was better to remain serious in front of him.


    Qu Kangping pinched the bridge of his nose.


    "The President just called me. The whole world is in a critical period now. We''ve already issued a joint statement with the Lighthouse Country, promising to do our utmost to ensure world peace.


    Based on the current progress of the strategy, the Lighthouse Country is likely to fail the challenge, so we need to send some people to the Lighthouse Country to help them resist the weird invasion.


    If the Lighthouse Country falls into anarchy due to the weird invasion, a world war is very likely to break out, and then it would really be the end of the world."


    Due to the weird invasion, humanity has developed many powerful weapons. After Gu Yi returned from thest clearance, he also replicated a lot of materials from the Wapeng School library, which advanced human technological theories significantly.


    Wars in the age of the weird powers would be ten times more terrifying than nuclear wars.


    If arge-scale war really breaks out worldwide, within a month, there will no longer be any life on Earth. And a month is the time adventurers need toplete the challenge.


    Everyone felt the heavy atmosphere after hearing Qu Kangping''s words.


    Since the invasion of the weird world, humanity hasn''t experienced an international war for decades, with most fights being only against fanatics.


    As the shadow of war looms again, the usual smiles and jokes are gone.


    Xi Wang cracked a smile and raised her hand, saying, "Hey, guys, don''t be so tense. Let''s make a bet. Our Gu Yi will definitely achieve a perfect clearance."


    "I said, don''t mention betting in front of me." Qu Kangping shook his head and left the meeting room. "I''m going to have a video conference with the President. You continue working."


    Xi Wang watched Qu Kangping''s back, whispering to a colleague, "Has the team leader always been like this? Can''t take a joke? Or is he deliberately putting me in my ce? Why do I feel he''s acting strange?"


    "He wasn''t like this before," the colleague shook their head. "Maybe the death of Brother Ah Jian hit him too hard. The punishment from above was severe, and now he''s also waiting for an opportunity to redeem himself. Maybe things will get better after this period."


    "Who is Ah Jian?"


    "He was the former captain of the strategy team and also the person team leader Qu had the most hope for as his sessor."


    "Oh, I see."


    Hearing this, Xi Wang nodded thoughtfully.


    ...


    Dennis worked in the mine for a full 10 hours before leaving with his coworkers. He could earn about ten years of sentence reduction per hour, and he didn''t have to pay for the rental of the breathing apparatus, so he earned over a hundred years of sentence reduction today.


    However, the dungeon requires adventurers to reach at least second-ss citizenship within a month, with a one million-year sentence, meaning Dennis would have to dig in the mine for 10,000 days without eating or drinking.


    At this rate, Dennis definitely cannot clear the dungeon.


    Dennis looked at his coworkers and grabbed those who had bet with him.


    "Guys, I have a question."


    "What''s up?"


    "Is there any fun ce around here?"

 Chapter 180: Er Gou’s Casino (1)

    <h4>Chapter 180: Er Gou''s Casino (1)</h4>


    "You''re thinking..."


    Dennis raised his hand, mimicking the action of rolling dice, and flicked his tongue in his mouth to simte the sound of dice.


    "Oh? You''ve just earned a 100-year sentence reduction today and you want to y dice?"


    "After working all day, I''m tired. It''s just right to find a ce to have some fun."


    "Alright, then I''ll take you to a good ce to have fun." His coworker smiled. "There''s a casino in the southern part of the city. It''s pretty good. Even third-ss citizens are allowed to gamble there. The stakes aren''t high, you can join a game with just a hundred or so, it''s pretty good."


    "That''s exactly what I want."


    Dennis followed his coworker to the casino in the south.


    Surprisingly, the casino was just across the street from a police station, which was utterly bewildering.


    The casino had no name, only a tattered cloth serving as a door curtain, and the entire room was extremely rudimentary. Dennis went to the counter and exchanged a 100-year sentence for a chip, but he didn''t rush to gamble. Instead, he wandered between the gambling tables.


    Since this world had a casino, there must be people operating in the grey areas, perhaps even information dealers. Currently in the dark about many things, this seemed like the ce to start looking.


    "Brother, I''ve noticed you haven''t ced a bet for a while. Do you find the things here uninteresting?"


    A man''s voice sounded behind Dennis.


    Dennis turned to look. The man was about forty years old, with a darkplexion, and his smile always seemed somewhat sinister.


    "Oh, just looking around."


    "You''re looking for someone, right?"


    "How do you know?"


    "Since you walked in, I''ve been watching you. You''ve been staring at the gamblers but never at the tables.


    You didn''t wear a helmet before entering, which suggests you might be a high-ranking citizen. But you''ve been talking to me here for a while, and no police robots havee to add to my sentence, which means I was wrong. This is a clear contradiction.


    Your trouser legs are covered in ck dust, although you''ve wiped it clean, I can still tell you''re a miner.


    A third-ss citizen without a helmet, who is also a miner, and looking for someone in a casino...


    Let me guess, you used to be a first-ss citizen, and also a modified human, capable of holding your breath for a long time. I''ve been standing next to you for a while, and I can barely hear you breathe, your chest doesn''t even rise and fall."


    Dennis didn''t respond, simply fiddling with the chip in his hand.


    The man grinned, extending his right hand, "You can call me Er Gou (Second Dog), I live on Dark Street."


    "Heh, my name is Wild Dog."


    "It seems we really are destined to meet," Er Gou smiled, "What do you want to know?"


    Dennis whispered in Er Gou''s ear, "I want to be a first-ss citizen again within a month."


    "That''s going to cost you."


    "I''m willing to pay any price."


    "Do you know about T-091 ore?"


    "Yes."


    "If you can get me this ore, I''ll help you. Tomorrow night at 10:00,e find me on Dark Street. I''ll wait for you for 3 minutes."


    After speaking, Er Gou also pulled out a voice recorder from his pocket.


    "Oh, by the way. I identally recorded what you just said. It''s okay to talk nonsense in my territory, but I don''t know what would happen if these words reached someone else''s ears."


    This was clearly Er Gou''s way of keeping Dennis in check.


    Dennis pondered for a moment, always keeping a degree of skepticism towards Er Gou. The guy''s gaze was always evasive, and it was hard to tell how much of what he said was true.


    <i>Was he a lone wolf?</i>


    <i>Or did he have a team?</i>


    There was no information.


    What''s more, the supervisor checks the miners daily to prevent anyone from smuggling ore. If he were to be discovered smuggling this stuff, the consequences would be dire.


    <i>Did Er Gou make me steal the ore to force me to submit and show allegiance?</i>


    <i>Can I really risk it for this piece of information?</i>


    ...


    Flowers bloom on both sides, each disying its own branch.


    Gu Yi arrived at Dark Street and after asking around, found that there wasn''t a single house with rent under 2000 years of sentence reduction, and the rent required one payment upfront plus three months deposit.


    Having no choice, Gu Yi had to make do with some cardboard boxes he found in a trash heap for a bed.


    Suddenly, Gu Yi heard footsteps. He pretended to make his bed while using his peripheral vision to observe.


    The strange man from Dark Street was walking outside, tucking a helmet under his arm.


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment.


    Previously in the deduction, the man always stayed in the back alleys, probably waiting for someone. But he left without meeting anyone.


    During his tracking, Gu Yi''s skills were insufficient; the man must have noticed him, hence the sudden change in ns as he did not leave the Dark Street.


    ording to the original n, he was supposed to leave.


    Thinking this, Gu Yi couldn''t help but feel excited, so he immediately closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You secretly follow him.)


    (The man has a certain psychological defense, and psychological suggestions have little effect on him, so you can only use this clumsy method to track him.)


    (You turn a corner and find the man has disappeared.)


    (You regretfully turn back, only to find the man standing right behind you.)


    (Man: Were you following me?)


    (You: No, not at all.)


    (Man: Oh.)


    (The man nods and leaves.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain in your chest. You look down to find the man has inconspicuously plunged a dagger into your chest.)


    (Everything before you turns pitch ck.)


    (You die!)


    (The deduction ends!)


    "How can this guy... be so formidable?"


    Gu Yiined with a furrowed brow. After pondering for a while, he initiated another deduction.


    (Backtracking deduction begins!)


    (At the corner, you dive into a trash can.)


    (You hear footsteps approaching from the alley entrance.)


    (The man looks around, even lifting the lid of the trash can.)


    (You hide at the very bottom of the trash.)


    (The man takes out a dagger and stabs a few times into the trash bags.)


    (You bite your lip, daring not to make a sound.)


    (Man: Is it a rat?)


    (The man mutters to himself quietly, then turns and leaves.)


    (After a while, you climb out of the trash can.)


    (You follow him again.)


    (You pick up a piece of ss shard, using the reflection to watch the man from the corner of the wall.)


    (Your tracking skills be more refined.)


    (For thetter part of the journey, the man indeed does not notice you.)


    (The man eventually enters a casino.)


    (You follow, taking off the stinky clothes at the door.)


    (The man hides behind the door, watching you.)


    (Man: Were you following me just now?)


    (You: I wasn''t.)


    (Prepared, you block your chest with your hand, stopping the man''s fatal blow, but the dagger still stabs into your arm.)


    (You use psychological suggestions on the man.)


    (The man hesitates, not daring to deliver a fatal blow.)


    (You push the man away.)


    (You: Why would you stab me for no reason? Police robot, help!)


    (A robot approaches the two of you.)


    (The people from the casino alsoe over, blocking the robot at the door, while surrounding you in the middle.)


    (You fall into panic.)


    (It turns out this casino is the man''s territory, and he holds a high status here.)


    (Man: Kill him.)


    (You are beaten by the crowd.)


    (Your vision turns blood red.)


    (You die!)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, sitting on a cardboard box, silently staring at the man''s retreating back.


    Not until the man hadpletely disappeared from view did Gu Yi stand up from the ground.


    Stalking and using psychological suggestions are not friendly behaviors, which is why the man would not hesitate to kill himself, even if it meant breaking the rulesof course, it''s also possible that he could ignore the rules.


    This further proves that he is no ordinary person.


    Hisbat ability far exceeds that of ordinary humans, and even agile adventurers might not be his match.


    He has a strong will, agile movements, and often resorts to clever tricks to deceive others. Most importantly, he possesses the power to block robot sensory functions.


    However, Gu Yi no longer needs to follow him now; he just needs to head to the man''s casino to investigate!

 Chapter 181: Er Gou’s Casino (2)

    <h4>Chapter 181: Er Gou''s Casino (2)</h4>


    "Brother Gou."


    "Hello, Brother Gou."


    "Mm."


    Er Gou nodded, greeting the dealer in the casino. Even some familiar gamblers took the initiative to greet Er Gou.


    In everyone''s eyes, Er Gou was a legendary figure. Nobody knew exactly how many sentences he was carrying.


    He was clearly a third-ss citizen, yet he could open a legal casino so ostentatiously. This was enough to show how extraordinary Er Gou''s identity was.


    The curtain of the casino was lifted.


    Gu Yi arrived at the casino and spotted the man at first nce. However, he didn''t pay attention to himself but was focused on chatting with acquaintances. Gu Yi walked to the counter and stretched out his right hand.


    "Exchange for ten years of chips for me."


    "We require a minimum exchange for a hundred years here."


    "Then, can you lend me some money?"


    "No problem, but you must pay back the loan before you leave, otherwise we''ll have to call the police robots. The police office is right next door, and you won''t be able to escape."


    "I know, lend me 100 years."


    "Wow..."


    The staff member nced at Gu Yi, noting that Gu Yi was just ten years short of having a ten million-year sentence. This was very dangerous.


    "Brother, are you sure?"


    "Yes, what''s the matter?"


    "Never mind, as long as you''re happy."


    Through the loan, Gu Yi exchanged for a hundred years'' worth of chips. "Who is that man over there?"


    "Do you mean him? He''s our boss, named Er Gou."


    "You don''t know his real name?"


    The clerk looked at Gu Yi strangely, "No one uses their real name here."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi keenly noticed the clerk''s gaze. Although he didn''t know why people here didn''t use their real names, Gu Yi also decided to only use a pseudonym.


    Holding the small chips, he wandered among the gambling tables until he arrived at the dice table. He closed his eyes as if he were a monk in meditation.


    "Come on, final bets."


    The dealer put down the dice cup, smiling at the gamblers.


    Gu Yi suddenly opened his eyes and, without hesitation, ced his chips on "Small."


    "One-one-two, four points, small."


    The dealer moved the chips in front of Gu Yi and started a new round. Just like before, Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    <i>Then, tter</i>


    The dice stopped, and the dealer announced loudly, "Final bets!"


    <i>With a swoosh</i>


    Gu Yi ced all the chips he had just won, two hundred years'' worth, on "Small."


    The dealer was somewhat surprised. To these poor suckers, two hundred years of chips was already a huge sum, and this kid didn''t even think before betting all his chips.


    "Final bets, let''s open the cup."


    Three-four-one.


    Still small.


    Gu Yi had guessed right again.


    The dealer nced at Gu Yi, chuckling, "The boss is quite lucky today, hitting it right two times in a row.


    "Continue," said the dealer.


    Gu Yi didn''t speak but closed his eyes again.


    The dealer frowned slightly.


    <i>There are rumors that some people can hear the dice numbers through their ears. Could this young man be one of them?</i>


    <i>Or is this kid just showing off, happening to have good luck?</i>


    The dealer shook the dice while watching every move of Gu Yi.


    "Big!"


    "Small!"


    "Small!"


    "Big!"


    Seven times in a row, Gu Yi guessed right every time. In just a matter of minutes, Gu Yi had earned ten thousand years of chips, whereas he had only started with a hundred years'' worth of chips upon entering the casino.


    Seeing Gu Yi''s luck against the odds, everyone also started betting with him, nearly winning all the dealer''s money.


    The dealer looked into Gu Yi''s eyes, unable to see any expression other than that of a gambler blinded by greed.


    If Gu Yi was really cheating, he definitely wouldn''t show such an overt expression. Managing expressions is a must-learn course for cheaters.


    <i>Could it really be just luck?</i>


    The dealer secretly switched to loaded dice and shook the cup again.


    <i>Thump!</i>


    The dealer once again ced the dice cup on the table, smilingly said, "Gambling god, what do you bet this time?"


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, not saying a word.


    "Why not bet?"


    "All in on big."


    Everyone was excited, following Gu Yi to ce their chips on big. Only a very few people noticed the change in Gu Yi''s expression and dared not bet any longer.


    "Open it."


    "Open it, quick."


    "Don''t keep us in suspense."


    The dealer sneered, lifting the dice cup, "Three ones, triple kill."


    Overnight, the gamblers'' won chips were swallowed up clean, leaving Gu Yi''s face as pale as if he had lost his soul.


    "I... that I..."


    "Kid, seems like the luck is on my side this time," the dealer said with a smile, "Now you owe us the sentence."


    "Sorry, I don''t have any sentence left, I''m already carrying a ten million-year sentence."


    The crowd was in an uproar.


    <i>Carrying so many sentences and still daring to gamble here?</i>


    <i>This kid really doesn''t care about his life.</i>


    The dealerughed out of anger, whistled, and called two thugs.


    "Take him to the back for a good chat."


    Two thugs escorted Gu Yi to the back room.


    At first, Gu Yi showed a struggling expression, but as he entered the back room, he became calm.


    "Are you sick?"


    "You''re the sick one." Gu Yi rolled his eyes and retorted.


    "You were panicking like a rabbit just now, why aren''t you struggling now?"


    "I bet with you, in a while your boss will have to serve me tea?"


    "Huh?"


    The two thugs looked at each other and then pressed Gu Yi onto the sofa.


    Gu Yiy down leisurely, gently closing his eyes.


    He possessed the ability of infinite deduction. He knew exactly what the dealer opened each time, and naturally, he also saw the dealer cheating by switching dice.


    Now, having some time, Gu Yi decided to use his ability again to explore his surroundings.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You use psychological suggestions on the two thugs behind you.)


    (The thugs be dazed, no longer watching you, and you manage to steal the stun batons from them.)


    (You sit on the sofa and wait for a while, until your skill cooldown is over, and no robotse to catch you, clearly there''s something here blocking the robots.)


    (You leave the back room and look around.)


    (You make your way to the back door of the casino, and in a back alley, you find a secret door.)


    (You open the secret door with effort and find two strong men inside, engrossed in their work.)


    (You hear Er Gou''s voiceing from the back room; he seems to be scolding the two thugs who were watching over you.)


    (You immediately attempt to use psychological suggestions on the two strong men at the door.)


    (You find that you are unable to use your skill on the two strong men because they are both robots.)


    (You use psychological suggestions on yourself and manage to subdue the two robots with the stun batons in your hands.)


    (You arrive at a separate room.)


    (You push the door open and find it full of t-091 ore, and you also find some professional tools inside.)


    (They seem to be used for making dream fragments.)


    (You hear footsteps outside the door.)


    (You quickly speed up your search, and in the corner of the room, you find some finished products.)


    (You kick open a wooden board with your foot.)


    (The box is filled with dream fragments, but these fragments are very irregr in shape and their color is slightly paler.)


    (You taste a piece of the dream fragment; it tastes simr to dream fragments but is different.)


    (In this world, even the air is considered private property. Er Gou has hidden so many ores here and is processing unknown things. What exactly is he doing?)

 Chapter 182: Er Gou’s Casino (3)

    <h4>Chapter 182: Er Gou''s Casino (3)</h4>


    (You continue to explore the room and find a notebook in the rest area, with a phrase written in Intersternguage on the title page.)


    (<i>"No human is born guilty, but are born equal."</i>)


    (The knocking outside the door bes more urgent.)


    (The door is opened by someone.)


    (Er Gou rushes into the room first.)


    (Er Gou: This is not a ce for you to enter.)


    (You: What is this?)


    (Er Gou: You don''t need to know.)


    (You are caught by Er Gou and stabbed through the heart.)


    (Your vision bes blood red.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, falling into deep thought.


    The hidden room behind must be Er Gou''s biggest secret. Just the theft of the T-091 ore alone is enough to get Er Gou sentenced to ten million years. To prevent the leak of information, Er Gou didn''t hesitate to kill, showing how much he values the ore.


    To gain Er Gou''s trust, it definitely requires a gradual approach.


    Dropping bombshells right off the bat might not work.


    Moreover, Gu Yi could ascertain that what Er Gou produced was not dream fragments; it was something unfamiliar.


    Gu Yi stopped deducing and closed his eyes to recuperate, restoring his mental strength.


    After a while, Er Gou arrived at the back room, with the dice dealer from before by his side.


    The two looked at each other, neither speaking.


    Finally, Er Gou broke the silence.


    "What do you want to do?"


    "If it weren''t for me today, I suppose your casino couldn''t have won that much money, right?" Gu Yi said with a smile, "Everyone followed my bets, and in the end, they all coughed it up. You should be thanking me. Also, you need to practice your dice switching; it''s too obvious."


    Hearing this, the dealer frowned unhappily.


    Er Gou nced at the dealer and waved his hand, "Off you go."


    "Yes."


    The dealer bowed and left the back room, closing the door behind him.


    Er Gou sat down beside Gu Yi and gently patted Gu Yi''s thigh.


    "You''re really something."


    "Uh... thanks."


    Remembering that Er Gou was bisexual, Gu Yi couldn''t help but shudder, but he used psychological suggestions to make himself appear calmer.


    "Let me introduce myself, my name is Er Gou (Second Dog)."


    "Nice to meet you, Brother Gou," Gu Yi said with a smile, "My name is Gu Wen (Advisor)."


    Er Gou nodded in satisfaction.


    Clearly, Gu Yi was a hidden master of gambling, not recruiting such talent would be a waste.


    "Are you a miner?"


    "Correct."


    "You can only earn a reduction of ten years of sentence per day, right?"


    "About that."


    "Join me, and you can reduce your sentence by 100 years a day."


    "A hundred years a day, it would take ten thousand days to umte a million years, too slow."


    "You think that''s too little? I''ll add another twenty years."


    "Brother Gou, that''s too slow." Gu Yi''s eyes sparkled, "I want to be a first-ss citizen within a month."


    "Heh, are you out of your mind? How is that possible?"


    "I can''t stand another day carrying the name of a prisoner, living without freedom. People are not born guilty; everyone is born equal."


    Thest part, Gu Yi deliberately recited in the intersternguage.


    As he expected, Er Gou''s eyes widened immediately, retracting his hand from Gu Yi''s thigh, his pupils slightly dted, "Are you from Wapeng High School?"


    "I should be considered... a dropout?"


    "Heh... better than me, I only attended for a few days."


    "Is that so, then do you know Chen Zeyu?"


    "I know, he''s a first-ss citizen."


    "Do you know where he is?"


    "He''s dead."


    Gu Yi was greatly shocked, "What happened? His grades were always top-notch in school."


    "He died for his beliefs," Er Gou sneered, "Forget it, it''s not worth mentioning. That guy was just a fool, not deserving of sympathy. As for that motto you mentioned... I''ve always taken it as a joke."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi remained nomittal.


    He closed his eyes and deduced a bit, confirming that Er Gou was sincere, at least for now he had no intention of harming him. He didn''t actively inquire about the back house, as it would surely make Er Gou vignt, which could backfire.


    "Advisor, let me ask you, do you really believe in the saying that all people are born equal?"


    Gu Yi didn''t know how to answer.


    Er Gou sneered, then said, "You haven''t forgotten the education we received in school, have you? Where there''s a will, there''s a way. But look at you after graduation, aren''t you just like me, a third-ss citizen?"


    "That''s because I dropped out..."


    "I once sacrificed my family, thinking it was a good trade because it would grant me greater power and social status, which I could use to change the societal status quo.


    But what was the reality?


    I couldn''t do anything, even as a first-ss citizen, I couldn''t change the state of the world. No matter what I did, I was working for it, I was its ve.


    It wasn''t until I left school that I realized the education there was all wrong.


    It had been instilling us with the wrong values, turning us into people who talk only about benefits, ignoring humanity, allowing us to exploit others without guilt after leaving school.


    People can never be equal.


    Second-ss citizens sit in offices, reducing their sentences by 100 years per hour, while you dig in the mines for a day to reduce your sentence by ten years.


    First-ss citizens lie in bed, just by speaking, can reduce their sentence by 1000 years a minute. To them, sentences are just numbers, a symbol, a joke.


    How did those second and first-ss citizense to be? They sacrificed their mothers, graduated from Wapeng School, and became assholes,pletely ignorant of the hardships of the world.


    And what about ''it''?


    It owns us, owns the air, owns thend, owns time. Everything in the world belongs to it, except for the sun. Under its rules, where is the equality?


    So, do you still believe in that nonsense?"


    Er Gou''s speech was highly provocative, and for a moment, Gu Yi felt as though he was influenced by a strange force. Despite using psychological suggestions on himself, he couldn''t shake off the heavy stone pressing on his chest.


    "What''s the purpose of telling me all this?"


    "To make you see reality, my friend," Er Gouughed, "After all, we''re alumni. Your vision should be broader than ordinary people. You don''t really believe that digging in the mines for a lifetime can make you a second-ss citizen?"


    "Of course not."


    "Ha, that''s good then. In today''s world, achieving social mobility throughbor is impossible. I can introduce you to a business. As long as you do as I say, I can help you achieve social mobility quickly."


    "What is it?"


    "I need T-091, the more, the better. Tomorrow night at 10:00, I''ll be waiting for you on the dark street, and I''ll wait for only three minutes. Bring me those rocks, and I''ll give you a satisfactory price."


    "It''s a deal."


    "Also, I''ve said too much today, I identally recorded it all." Er Gou took out a voice recorder from his bosom, "You can speak freely in my territory, but elsewhere... you better be careful."

 Chapter 183: Dark Street Trading

    <h4>Chapter 183: Dark Street Trading</h4>


    "Thanks."


    Gu Yi nodded and left the gambling house under Er Gou''s watchful eye.


    Er Gou finally took out a voice recorder, merely as a warning.


    Since Gu Yi decided to work with Er Gou, he had to ept Er Gou''s constraints.


    The conversation between Gu Yi and Er Gou clearly vited the set of A-level rules. If Er Gou released this recording, Gu Yi would undoubtedly be captured by the robots.


    Whether Er Gou would be punished was another matter.


    The night had deepened.


    Gu Yi nced at the wall clock. It was already 11 p.m. Instead of wandering outside, he returned to the Dark steet.


    To his dismay, the cardboard bed he had painstakingly assembled was gone.


    "Damn, someone stole the cardboard?"


    Gu Yi cursed under his breath and began to wander around, looking for more cardboard.


    ...


    "If you keep dawdling like this, don''t bothering to work anymore. You''re really asking for a beating!"


    It was 10 p.m., and Kanon had just finished her day''s work.


    She had never done physicalbor before and had no advantagepared to the seasoned workers.


    While others could finish their work in ten hours, she needed to work overtime for two more hours toplete hers.


    Leaving the mine, Kanon returned the breathing apparatus. After a twelve-hour shift, she had only earned a nine-year sentence reduction.


    "Damn it, how can people live here..."


    Kanon sat at the corner, on the verge of falling asleep from exhaustion.


    She had intended to continue tracking Er Gou today, but he had eluded her with his twists and turns, almost making her dizzy. It seemed she had misjudged him.


    Er Gou was an expert. With her poor physical condition and skills, she had no chance of following him.


    Kanon squatted by the roadside, crying out of frustration.


    She hadn''t expected the world to be so harsh. Having never faced such difficulties, she was on the brink of a mental breakdown after just one day.


    "It''s so cold..."


    It was the middle of the night, and the cold wind howled through the streets. She went to the Dark street hoping to find a ce to stay but couldn''t afford it.


    Kanon tried to look pitiful and ask for shelter, but thendlord pushed her away with disdain.


    "Wanna sell yourself? There are plenty of bar girls in the next street, maybe they can introduce you to a good job!"


    "Damn it..."


    Kanon left cursing under her breath.


    <i>Are all the men here monks?</i>


    <i>Am I that ugly?</i>


    Kanon walked to a nearby puddle and observed her reflection in the dim moonlight.


    Although she looked haggard, as long as she had a bit of makeup she would definitely be more attractive. But the question is, where would she get the sentence reduction to trade for cosmetics and beautiful clothes?


    <i>Swoosh</i>


    Kanon heard some strange noises behind her.


    She quickly straightened up and hid in the shadows. Her small frame was invisible in the dark.


    "Brother Gou, the goods are here."


    "Not bad."


    "Do you need more?"


    "I''ll take as much of these ores you have."


    "The supervisor has been stricttely. I could only bring out this much. I''ve been hiding them in my fingernails, scraping them out little by little. The quantity isn''t much, but it''s all high-quality stuff."


    "Hmph, funny. You really think I can''t tell how you brought them out?" Er Gou scoffed, "Ten years."


    "That''s too little!"


    "The energy in the stones has been mostly absorbed by you. The quality is too low, it''s only worth this much."


    "Add a bit more."


    "No bargaining."


    "Damn... T-091, do you still want it?"


    "Yes."


    "I''ll bring you some tomorrow, same time."


    "Fine."


    Footsteps approached.


    Kanon held her breath and watched the street corner.


    A miner walked past her, not noticing her at all. She recognized him as a coworker from her mine.


    "So that''s how it is..."


    Kanon nodded thoughtfully, a bold n forming in her mind.


    ...


    In the real world.


    The next morning.


    Xi Wang arrived at her workstation early and noticed that there were significantly fewerments in the live stream.


    "What''s going on today? Has everyone turned over a new leaf? Why so quiet?"


    "There''s been trouble, captain."


    "What happened?"


    "Several countries have gone into civil war, and they''ve all gone offline from the live broadcast."


    An agent handed him a list, and Xi Wang nced at it.


    <i>Kimchi Country was offline.</i>


    <i>An Eastern European country was offline.</i>


    <i>And three Nordic countries were offline.</i>


    In just one day, five countries on Earth had descended into civil war. So far, everyone had refrained from using weapons of mass destruction, but it was uncertain how long this restraint wouldst.


    "Sigh... I bet fifty cents..."


    "Shh"


    The agent made a silencing gesture, ncing warily behind Xi Wang.


    Xi Wang quickly shut her mouth.


    "Morning, team leader!"


    "Morning."


    Qu Kangping nodded, smoking a cigarette and looking at the documents in his hand. As usual, he sat in the conference room, turning on the monitor first thing.


    "It seems like there are fewerments today..."


    "Yes, team leader." Xi Wang handed Qu Kangping thetest report, "These countries are at war, and it seems to have affected the channel to the weird world."


    Qu Kangping nced at the report and then continued to watch the screen.


    The channel was currently focused on Dennis, who, thinking no one was watching, began stuffing ores into his mouth and swallowing them raw.


    Thements exploded with surprise.


    "Damn? This move seems familiar?"


    "Did he learn this from Gu Yi?"


    "6666..."


    On the other side, Gu Yi was also hiding ores, but his actions were more elegant. If it weren''t for the ability to rewind the broadcast, it would be impossible to see how he hid them.


    "Gu Yi''s secondary talent is so powerful?"


    "He''s stealing ores right in front of the supervisor!"


    "Insane, absolutely insane!"


    Comments from around the world were mostly negative, except for those from Dragon Country, which were all positive. This wasn''t just because Dragon Country hadn''t been invaded by the weird power, but also because the Strategy team force had acted swiftly and had caught a bunch of keyboard warriors.


    Now inside the broadcast, it was time to clock out.


    The supervisor looked at all the miners with a sinister gaze and coldly announced:


    "Recently, there have been thefts in our mine. So starting tomorrow, everyone must strip naked for inspection before leaving. In three days, we''ll receive a high-precision ore detector, and from then on, everyone must pass in front of it every day after work. Understood?"


    "Yes!"


    "Everyone, strip. Even your underwear."


    Gu Yi frowned, "Damn, am I going to be exposed to the whole world?"


    Reluctantly, Gu Yi stripped naked.


    A row of question marks appeared in thements.


    Xi Wang leaned forward, watching the screen regretfully, "Damn, why did thements suddenly increase? Look at his ass, those glutes... Tsk tsk tsk... Really burns the eyes, I''m not watching anymore."


    Xi Wang covered her mouth.


    "Why are you covering your mouth instead of your eyes?"


    "Because... is it any of your business?"


    When caught, Xi Wang rolled her eyes at her subordinate.

 Chapter 184: Dark Street Trading (2)

    <h4>Chapter 184: Dark Street Trading (2)</h4>


    Gu Yi put on his clothes, feeling a lingering fear as he touched his buttocks.


    The supervisor looked quite normal, but unexpectedly, he really did as he said and probed. Even more surprising was that a miner actually had hidden a piece of ore in his buttocks.


    Without high-precision detection equipment, it is very difficult for robots to find ore hidden inside the human body, so the supervisor had to manually check.


    This inspection directly caught 2 miners viting the rules.


    "You have vited rule A-001," the overseer said with his hands on his hips. "Personal property is sacred and invible. I have already called the police robots toe here. Just wait here."


    In less than three minutes, 6 police robots arrived at the mining area and took away the workers who had hidden the ore.


    Gu Yi carefully observed his coworkers, noticing some of them always avoided eye contact.


    His exceptionally high mental power told him that these people definitely also stole ore, but their methods were more sophisticated, so they had not been discovered yet.


    Gu Yi guessed that they might have swallowed the ore to hide it.


    The people of the Wapeng could swallow dream fragments whole, so presumably, swallowing raw materials wouldn''t cause them much harm either. As long as they left the mining area, they could find a way to vomit the ore or find it in the toilet the next morning.


    However, Gu Yi was not worried at all. His orb had a very high priority, and the items hidden inside it would definitely not be discovered by NPCs.


    After work, Gu Yi hurried to the Dark street.


    To secure a good spot and not have it taken by others, Gu Yi quickly found cardboard boxes to make a bed, preparing for sleep tonight.


    As the sky gradually darkened, for safety, Gu Yi sat against the wall, closed his eyes, and began to deduce.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You rest for a while, waiting until 10 PM.)


    (You arrive at the designated location as instructed.)


    (Er Gou is squatting in the corner smoking.)


    (You take out a bag and put all the ore into it, totaling twenty pounds.)


    (You: This is what you wanted.)


    (You throw the bag in front of Er Gou.)


    (Er Gou checks it.)


    (Er Gou: Did you get all of this yourself?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Er Gou: How the hell did you get so much?)


    (You: How much will you give me?)


    (Er Gou: It''s too much, this will definitely attract the big guys.)


    (Suddenly, you hear a chaotic flurry of footsteps around you.)


    (Er Gou turns pale, stuffs the bag into your hands, and runs away.)


    (You don''t understand but run in the opposite direction like Er Gou, casually putting the bag into the ck orb''s space.)


    (A group of police robots blocks your way.)


    (You can''t escape the robots'' encirclement.)


    (Robot: You have vited rule A-001.)


    (You: Do you have any evidence?)


    (The robot immediately ys footage of your transaction with Er Gou.)


    (Robot: This is the evidence, where did you hide the ore?)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, touching his chin.


    <i>Did he betray me?</i>


    <i>No, if he had betrayed me, why would he run? Judging by his expression before leaving, it didn''t seem fake.</i>


    Er Gou dared to make the transaction there, surely he had taken counter-surveince measures.


    <i>Could it be because the amount of goods was toorge, and that''s why the robots discovered us? Would it be safer if we traded less?</i>


    "Let''s try again."


    (Backtracking deduction begins!)


    (You suspect that the reason you were targeted was that you took out too much ore all at once.)


    (So, you only take out a little bit of ore and hide it in your pocket.)


    (You find Er Gou.)


    (You take out the ore, and Er Gou checks it.)


    (Er Gou: Twenty years.)


    (You feel very angry, feeling that Er Gou is taking advantage of your ignorance.)


    (You: That''s too little. I''ve put in a lot of effort and risked breaking thew to get this for you. Look at the quality of these ores, they''re as good as freshly mined. Isn''t twenty years a bit too little?)


    (Er Gou hesitates for a moment.)


    (Er Gou: Fine, twenty-five years.)


    (You: At least ten thousand years.)


    (Er Gou: Ha, ten thousand years? Then go find someone else, and see if anyone dares to buy from you. Either sell or don''t. There are plenty of people in this worlding to me for trades.)


    (You fall silent for a moment, but ultimatelypromise.)


    (You: A little more?)


    (Er Gou: Thirty years, that''s the most I can do.)


    (Youplete the transaction.)


    (You want to talk more, but Er Gou waves his hand.)


    (Er Gou: Get going, I have other things to do.)


    (You: I have some questions for you.)


    (At this moment, footsteps are heard from outside the alley.)


    (Er Gou quickly stuffs the ore into your hands and turns to run.)


    (This time, you choose to run in the same direction as Er Gou.)


    (Er Gou''s speed and agility far exceed yours, you can''t catch up at all.)


    (You are quickly caught by the robots.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi silently shook his head, realizing that being caught had nothing to do with the amount of ore; it was entirely a setup.


    Er Gou could block the detection of robots, but if they traded in front of the robots, not even the Emperor could save them. Moreover, Er Gou was not a loyal person; he ran faster than anyone else at the sign of trouble. Expecting him to help was simply unrealistic.


    Additionally, since the casino was within Er Gou''s territory and the processing workshop was nearby, why didn''t he just trade within the casino?


    Er Gou''s casino and the police station were only separated by a street. With such boldness and connections, how could Er Gou be afraid of the police robots? Why would he make things so unnecessarilyplicated?


    Gu Yi shook his head, deciding not to dwell on answers he couldn''t figure out for the time being.


    The safest method now was not to trade with Er Gou tonight.


    But if someone kept interfering, how could he continue to advance the plot?


    After pondering for a while, Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You observe around the Dark street but don''t spot any suspicious individuals.)


    (Er Gou is not in his shack, so you visit the casino, only to find that Er Gou is not there either.)


    (You return to the Dark street.)


    (Er Gou is neither early norte. You don''t know where Er Gou goes before the transaction ispleted.)


    (You remember the two robots at the entrance of Er Gou''s workshop.)


    (Those two robots have bionic skins, and if it weren''t for your use of psychological suggestion on them, you wouldn''t have been able to tell they were robots.)


    (To keep secrets, Er Gou not only uses a hidden door but even employs robots as workers, which costs more than thirty times as much.)


    (Something is really fishy here.)


    (Could it be that Er Gou has been betrayed a long time ago?)


    (You wander around the dark street.)


    (Around 9 PM, you indeed see many police robots converging from all directions. They possess optical camouge, perfectly hiding in corners, invisible to the naked eye.)


    (If you hadn''t arrived early, you wouldn''t have known they were always hidden in the streets around you.)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi reopened his eyes.


    Now that he knows the exact time the robots will surround the area, instead of passively defending, it''s better to take the initiative. He nned to find Er Gou before he returned to the dark street and inform him about the situation there.


    <i>But...</i>


    <i>Where exactly could that old rascal be?</i>


    After pondering for a while, Gu Yi realized there was another ce he hadn''t visited yet.

 Chapter 185: Dark Street Trading (3)

    <h4>Chapter 185: Dark Street Trading (3)</h4>


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You head to the red-light district where Er Gou''s daughter solicits clients.)


    (You look around but can''t find Er Gou.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a chill down your spine.)


    (You quickly turn around, instinctively pressing your hands down.)


    (You sessfully block Er Gou''s backstab.)


    (Er Gou: You''re tracking me? Don''t want to mix anymore?)


    (You: Calm down, there are police robots here, I don''t want to conflict with you.)


    (Er Gou: Do you think I''d believe you?)


    (Er Gou breaks free.)


    (A drop of cold sweat runs down your forehead as you think of how to immediately convince Er Gou.)


    (You: Do you want to kill someone in front of your daughter?)


    (Your words seem to move Er Gou.)


    (He gives you a look and sheathes his dagger.)


    (You: Let''s calm down and find a quiet ce to talk, okay?)


    (Er Gou thinks for a moment.)


    (Er Gou: Follow me.)


    (You follow Er Gou into the casino.)


    (You notice some strange purple runes on Er Gou''s wrist, their artistic style very simr to that sealed ck orb, obviously originating from the same source as it.)


    (You quickly use psychological suggestion on yourself to avoid getting too excited and giving yourself away.)


    (Er Gou: Here you can chat about anything, but I can also kill you anytime.)


    (Er Gou tantly ces a recording pen on the coffee table in front of him.)


    (You look around.)


    (You: Are you sure no one is eavesdropping or peeping here?)


    (Er Gou: What do you mean?)


    (You don''t speak.)


    (Er Gou''s expression changes slightly.)


    (You take out paper and pen tomunicate with Er Gou.)


    (You: There is arge number of police robots lurking around the dark street. If weplete the transaction there, it will definitely be discovered.)


    (Er Gou nods and takes the pen.)


    (Er Gou: I understand, I''ll investigate, thank you.)


    (You: So, do you still want to proceed with the transaction?)


    (Er Gou: The transaction must bepleted in the dark street, it''s a necessary procedure.)


    (You: Can I know why?)


    (Er Gou: You don''t need to know, let''s cancel today''s transaction.)


    (Er Gou issues an order to leave.)


    (You turn around and leave.)


    (You return to your ce, lying on the cardboard, deep in thought.)


    (The mysteries surrounding Er Gou only deepen.)


    (You take out paper and pen, noting all the doubts about Er Gou.)


    (1. What is the purpose of collecting T-091?)


    (2. Why does Er Gou, like yourself, possess the technology product of the Morticians?)


    (3. What is the reason Er Gou refuses toplete the transaction in the casino?)


    (4. Er Gou hinted that he was expelled from the Wapeng High school, but he also said he sacrificed his family, which is a clear contradiction. If he has already sacrificed his family, he should at least be a dropout. Why did he lie about his study experience in the Wapeng High School?)


    (5. Some of Er Gou''s words can be believed, and some cannot. He said Chen Zeyu is dead, but is he really? From the brief contact in thest dungeon, Chen Zeyu, was a person who was utmost selfish, he would definitely not die easily.)


    (You ponder for a while.)


    (You can''t solve doubts 1, 2, 4, and 5 for the time being.)


    (But doubt 3 has shown some clues.)


    (You specte that Er Gou refuses toplete the transaction in the casino for two main reasons.)


    (1. Fear of being reported.)


    (From the worldview of thest dungeon, dream fragments must be an extremely important resource. In this world, even breathing the air is considered a crime, so the sin of stealing and trading such important resources would only be heavier, not lighter.)


    (Er Gou is strong enough to open a casino near the police station, but it doesn''t mean he can tantly trade T-091 near the police station, so he always handles the transactions personally, never letting his subordinates do it.)


    (2. There''s something special about the dark street.)


    (Er Gou wrote on the note, "The transaction must bepleted in the dark street, it''s a necessary procedure." What exactly does Er Gou do in the dark street afterpleting the transaction?)


    (You recall.)


    (In the previous deductions, after sessfullypleting the transaction, Er Gou indeed acted unusually, urging you to leave. Does he perform some procedure on the spot afterpleting the transaction?)


    (You end the deduction!)


    Gu Yi blinked hisrge eyes.


    This time, there has finally been some progress, and he has obtained some rtively important intelligence.


    The procedure mentioned by Er Gou likely includes stringent requirements such as time, location, and the manner of the transaction. To fully understand what this so-called procedure entails, Gu Yi decides to try a different approach for trading with Er Gou.


    "Begin!"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes once more.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You arrive at the transaction location at 9:00, cing a small amount of ore in a bag hidden behind a trash can.)


    (The bag''s detector shielding effect isn''t very good; if too much ore is ced inside, it could easily attract police robots in advance.)


    (You leave the transaction location and hide in a nearby building.)


    (By 10:00, you hear Er Gou''s footsteps and secretly observe him from the rooftop.)


    (Er Gou waits impatiently for a while.)


    (He searches around and indeed finds the bag behind the trash can.)


    (He opens the bag, not only finding the ore but also a note you left with your citizen ID number. With the ID, even if the two of you don''t meet, the transaction can be processed through a clerk.)


    (Er Gou is momentarily stunned.)


    (He gestures to the transaction robot in the sky, and the robot obediently flies to his side.)


    (It turns out the transaction robot in the dark street is his.)


    (But ording to the A-series rules, owning a transaction robot should elevate one to a second-ss citizen, so why is Er Gou still a third-ss citizen?)


    (Considering Er Gou can ignore many rules, you''re not surprised.)


    (Er Gou presses a few buttons on the transaction robot''s control panel,pleting the transaction.)


    (The transaction robot leaves Er Gou.)


    (Er Gou turns around,es to the street corner, and moves the hollow brick to find a pull ring.)


    (Er Gou doesn''t rush to pull the ring but instead holds his right wrist, murmuring something softly.)


    (Just as Er Gou is about to pull the ring, robots rush over.)


    (In a panic, Er Gou reces the brick and quickly leaves.)


    (The entire dark street echoes with the sound of police robots running.)


    (You wait for the robots to leave beforeing down from the rooftop.)


    (You move the brick again.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You guess that Er Gou can ignore the rules because he holds the technology of the Morticians. Could your ck orb also open the pull ring?)


    (You channel your mental power into the ck sphere.)


    (The ck orb materializes.)


    (The pull ring on the ground emits crackling thunder, but the electric arcs can''t harm you.)


    (You extend the ck orb towards the pull ring.)


    (A cold voice reaches your ears.)


    <i>("Please say the password."</i>)


    (You suddenly realize why Er Gou was muttering to himself before touching the pull ring; he was saying the password.)


    (Unfortunately, you were too far from Er Gou and couldn''t hear his voice clearly.)


    (You: No human is born guilty, but are born equal.)

 Chapter 186: Kanon’s Strategy

    <h4>Chapter 186: Kanon''s Strategy</h4>


    (The pull ring: Password incorrect, activating protection mode.)


    (A current passes through you.)


    (Your body is charred.)


    (You die.)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi blinked his eyes and touched his chin, tracing back to the moment he touched the pull ring. He tried various passwords he could think of, such as "Born guilty" and "Everyone''s equal," but to no avail.


    "It''s no use, guessing blindly won''t get it right."


    Gu Yi shook his head and gave up.


    Until he fully gained Er Gou''s trust, the secrets of the pull ring and T-091 would remain unknown. He sat on the ground, thinking for a while, and decided to go to the red-light district to find Er Gou and tell him the deal was off.


    This was the best way to handle things so far.


    ...


    In the real world.


    The strategy team from Dragon Country sent a team to Lighthouse Country to assist, temporarily alleviating the phenomenon of weird invasion in their country, but the suicide and crime rates remained high.


    Fortunately, the police system in Lighthouse Country was strong enough to stabilize the domestic situation temporarily.


    As long as the weird forces in other countries were controlled, Lighthouse Country should not fall so quickly, and everyone could finally focus their attention on the live broadcast channels.


    At this time, the three most-watched adventurers had just finished their work.


    Gu Yi came to the dark street to collect cardboard boxes, looking like a scavenger.


    <i>"Is Gu Yi nning to make a fortune by selling scrap?"</i>


    <i>"No, I guess Gu Yi''s bed was stolen yesterday, and he wants to make a new one today."</i>


    <i>"You guessed it right."</i>


    Gu Yi dragged the cardboard boxes into the street, built a bed in the corner of the wall,y on it to close his eyes, and rested, regaining his mental strength. Everyone knew that once Gu Yi entered this state, he wouldn''t get up if he didn''t lie down for at least half an hour. So, everyone immediately switched channels, looking towards Dennis.


    After work, Dennis went directly to the casino in the south of the city to wander around. He had earned more than a hundred years off his sentence today, but he didn''t spend any money at the casino; he was just wandering around for no reason.


    <i>"So the Sakura guy just watches and doesn''t y, huh?"</i>


    <i>"Everyone in Sakura Country is a gambling dog."</i>


    <i>"I''m just asking, isn''t this guy from the Nordic countries?"</i>


    <i>"His ancestry is from Sakura Country."</i>


    <i>"Sakura Country does not want to take this me. Our country is not all gambling dogs; he has changed his nationality long ago."</i>


    <i>"Yes, yes, the men of Sakura Country are not gambling dogs, but the women are all social butterflies, right?"</i>


    <i>"That''s called making good use of one''s physical advantages. What do you know?"</i>


    <i>"Don''t tter yourself. Hattori Kanon is just promiscuous. Look what she''s be, desperate for anyone?"</i>


    The chat suddenly diverted the fire towards Kanon.


    Everyone watched the screen and saw a shocking scenekanon was hugging and cuddling with a miner drenched in sweat, the intimacy of their interaction was nauseating.


    "Brother, I liked you the first time I saw you."


    "Ah... really?"


    "What''s your name?"


    "My name is... Just call me Tie Zhu."


    The miner was inexperienced, never even having touched a woman''s hand. When Kanon started hugging his arm, he was bewildered. He kept retreating, shrinking back, looking worried and afraid.


    "Why do you keep backing away? I won''t eat you."


    "This doesn''t seem right." The miner pointed around, "Everyone is watching."


    His colleagues curiously watched the two, making the usually low-key Tie Zhu ufortable.


    "Are you still shy? I like you even more now."


    "Uh... hehe..."


    Tie Zhu, feeling dizzy and embarrassed, didn''t know he had such charm.


    Kanon, with a quick thought, rubbed her stomach and said, "Brother Tie Zhu, I''m hungry..."


    "You''re hungry...What should I do?"


    "Do I need to teach you?"


    "Oh, oh, I know, I know."


    Realizing what to do, Tie Zhu hurriedly pointed to a restaurant by the road, saying he would treat Kanon to a good meal.


    Along the way, kanon kept praising Tie Zhu, with stars almost flying out of her eyes. Tie Zhu was extremely pleased, having never been admired so much in his life.


    Tie Zhu chose a dingy restaurant, the whole ce smelled like stinky socks.


    Kanon took off her helmet, and nearly got suffocated by the smell in the restaurant, but quickly controlled her expression, not daring to show any disgust.


    "This is the best restaurant around."


    "Oh, is that so? You''re very generous, a good man."


    "Hehehe..."


    The two sat at the table, looking at each other.


    "Is Kanon your real name?"


    "Yes, it is." Kanon nodded, "Isn''t Tie Zhu your real name?"


    Tie Zhu paused, somewhat embarrassedly touching the back of his head.


    The other party had told him their real name, but he had kept his a secret.


    "I''m sorry, I lied to you. My real name is Li Yu."


    "Why did you hide your real name?"


    "Don''t you know?"


    Kanon shook her head, simply saying, "I just arrived, to be honest, I don''t understand things here."


    Tie Zhu didn''t notice the loophole in Kanon''s words, instead kindly exined to her.


    "If you tell others your real name, terrible things can happen. It''s a superstition passed down through generations.


    Except for one''s family, you can''t tell anyone your real name. Telling me your real name means you already consider me as your family."


    "Oh, is that so?"


    Kanon identally gained Tie Zhu''s trust.


    However, Kanon also kept something back, as she only told her first name, not her surname. If what Tie Zhu said about the superstition was true, Kanon wouldn''t have to worry.


    "Thank you for your trust." Tie Zhu extended his hand, involuntarily grabbing Kanon''s hand, "I''ve never met such a good girl like you."


    Kanon smiled, and inadvertently shivered when she touched the calluses on Tie Zhu''s palm.


    "What''s wrong? Was I too... abrupt?"


    Tie Zhu fearfully withdrew his hand.


    "No." Kanon extended both hands, holding Tie Zhu''s palm, "I''m just moved, I didn''t expect you to also tell me your real name. Does this mean we are mutually attracted and in love?"


    "Heh... hehe..." Tie Zhu blushed with a silly smile.


    "How about we have some drinks?"


    "Good, very good!"


    Kanon raised her ss, continuously pouring drinks for Tie Zhu. Upon entering, Kanon had already checked the menu, initially ordering some cheap dishes. But as Tie Zhu got drunk, she began ordering expensive wines.


    Moreover.


    Kanon only drank beer but mixed beer, liquor, and wine for Tie Zhu, making him drunk faster.


    After three rounds of drinks.


    Tie Zhu was slurring his words, barely able to speak.


    "Kanon... I love you..."


    "My dear, I love you too."


    Kanon sat next to Tie Zhu, whispering in his ear, and everyone thought they were a couple, so no one paid much attention.


    "Can you speak a bit softly? You''re scaring me with the way you talk."

 Chapter 187: Kanon’s Strategy (2)

    <h4>Chapter 187: Kanon''s Strategy (2)</h4>


    "Can you speak a bit softly? You''re scaring me with the way you talk."


    "Oh... I see."


    "How did you steal the ore?"


    "Steal ore? How did you know I stole ore?"


    "Are you drunk?" Kanonughed, "Didn''t you just tell me that?"


    Tie Zhu, confused, admitted and asked with a smile, "So, you want to join me in this?"


    "Yes, can you tell me how?"


    "Of course." Tie Zhu whispered into Kanon''s ear, "You just need to swallow the ore, then spit it out when you get home. I''ve specially trained in this skill and am now very proficient. If you identally can''t spit it out, it''s okay, just look for it in the toilet the next morning, hehehe"


    Hearing this, Kanon couldn''t help but roll her eyes.


    "You must be drunk. How can you swallow that stuff?"


    "Well! What does it matter? As long as you don''t eat too much at once, you won''t get poisoned. After all, this stuff is used to make..."


    Tie Zhu fell asleep mid-sentence, snoring on the chair.


    Kanon pped him twice hard, but he slept like a dead pig, feeling nothing.


    "Coward..."


    Kanon looked around, took the house key from Tie Zhu''s embrace, and left the restaurant without looking back.


    After a while, the restaurant finally realized Tie Zhu had passed out.


    The owner, a second-ss citizen, disdained speaking to Tie Zhu and had to call his subordinates to wake him up.


    "Sir, sir?"


    Tie Zhu, snoring, ignored the waiter.


    The owner shook his head and said, "Just let him pay, he already left his ID to me."


    "Okay..."


    The waiter, grabbing Tie Zhu''s wrist to settle the bill, found out Tie Zhu had racked up a sentence of twenty thousand years for this meal alone. But adding these years would push Tie Zhu''s sentence over ten million.


    "Boss, this customer''s sentence isn''t enough."


    "Damn, are you new here? Get lost."


    The boss came over, put on gloves, and personally added twenty thousand years to Tie Zhu''s sentence.


    Less than five minutester, police robots came into the store, put Tie Zhu in a bag, and dragged him out of the door. Since Tie Zhu was drunk, he didn''t even have a chance to cry for help and was choked to death by his own vomit.


    By the time he reached the prison, he was already a corpse.


    Meanwhile, the main culprit, Kanon, had arrived at Tie Zhu''s rented house.


    She pushed the door open, searched around, and finally found a wooden box under the bed.


    The box contained bits and pieces of ore, emitting a pungent smell. Thinking that these were spat or excreted by Tie Zhu, Kanon couldn''t help but frown.


    "Going through so much trouble to smuggle out all these ores, only to sell them for ten years off your sentence? I don''t know whether to praise you for your talent or for being too naive."


    Kanon shook her head, somewhat frustrated.


    In her view, Tie Zhu took a huge risk because being caught would mean at least ten thousand years added to his sentence, which would take at least two to three years of non-stop mining to earn back.


    If it were her making the trade, she would demand at least ten thousand years off or a greater benefit.


    Robots have detection capabilities, but the ore in the box wasn''t discovered by the robots, indicating the box has the ability to block detectors. Therefore, Kanon simply took the box and left the room.


    Kanon, holding the box, thought for a moment and then secretly buried it under a big tree in a back alley of the dark street. She didn''t rush to trade with Er Gou but rested against the tree for a while.


    <i>Tap Tap Tap</i>


    The sound of footsteps woke Kanon. She rubbed her eyes and saw a group of police robots heading towards the dark street. Kanon hid under the tree, not daring to make a sound until she was sure the robots weren''ting for her, and then she stood up.


    Kanon went into a roadside shop and checked the clock on the wall.


    It was 10 PM, exactly the time Er Gou and Tie Zhu had agreed to trade. <i>Could the robots be here to ambush Er Gou?</i>


    Kanon patted her chest in relief, thankful she had overslept due to exhaustion during the day, otherwise she would have been caught with Er Gou.


    Ten minutes passed.


    One by one, the robots left the dark street, but Kanon didn''t see Er Gou.


    <i>Had the person supposed to trade with him not showing up, so Er Gou didn''t appear?</i>


    Kanon nodded, thinking her guess was correct.


    After all the robots dispersed, Kanon went to the dark street, searching for Er Gou, and finally found him in front of a shack.


    "Hello, I''vee to see you again."


    "Go away, I''m annoyed just seeing you."


    "I have something you want..."


    Kanon took out the box and was just about to open it, but Er Gou quickly closed it.


    "Where did you get this?"


    "Do you want it?"


    "Not now." Er Gou shook his head, "Meet me at 10 PM tomorrow, where we first met."


    Kanon thought for a moment and then ced the box into Er Gou''s hands.


    Er Gou was startled.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I''m giving it to you."


    "For me?"


    Er Gou looked at Kanon strangely, "What do you want in return?"


    "I don''t want anything."


    Kanon shoved the box into Er Gou''s hands and left without looking back.


    Er Gou, holding the box, quickly followed, "Hey, I can''t ept this. Come find me tomorrow, and I can give you a good price, but you can''t just give it to me for free."


    "Chasing a girl in the middle of the night, what does that make you?" Kanonughed, "I said it''s for you, so it''s for you. I found this thing, and it''s of no use to me. But I heard you wanted it, so I gave it to you."


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t overthink it, okay, honey?"


    Kanon winked at Er Gou and left the dark street.


    Er Gou, holding the box in his hands, felt like he was holding a hot potato.


    ...


    "What does Kanon mean?"


    "Why give it to Er Gou without asking for anything in return?"


    "Could it be she''s trying to y hard to get?"


    The discussion on the bullet screen was non-stop, and no one knew why Kanon gave away the ore for free.


    On the other side.


    Gu Yi had already caught up with Er Gou in the red-light district, and the two were now chatting in the casino. Whereas Dennis neither went to the dark street nor found Er Gou in the casino, and was just ying poker in the casino for a while.


    Compared to Gu Yi and Kanon, although Dennis earned the most sentence reductions, he performed the worst in exploring the plot characters.


    Everyone didn''t know why Gu Yi could catch Er Gou in the red-light district, nor did they understand why Kanon gave away the ore for free.


    In the strategy group, Xi Wang was sitting with her legs crossed, yawning out of boredom.


    The teammates looked at Xi Wang, curiously saying, "Captain, you''re a woman, you should understand what Kanon is thinking, right?"


    "Why are you all looking at me? How would I know what a promiscuous woman is thinking aside from ying the field?"


    "But there''s no helping it, she''s really cute."


    "Yeah, even though her face is a bit dirty right now, it makes her even more endearing."


    Xi Wang shook her head with a bitter smile, indeed these men were led by their desires, "You guys... would be swindled without even knowing. Do you think a socialite who can mix in the entertainment circle would be that simple?"

 Chapter 188: Er Gou’s Initial Trust (1)

    <h4>Chapter 188: Er Gou''s Initial Trust (1)</h4>


    "What do you say?"


    The team members all looked towards Xi Wang.


    This new tomboy, although always speaking arrogantly, indeed had the capital to be arrogant, because she always won whenever she made a bet with others.


    "How about we make a bet? By tomorrow night at thetest, Er Gou will take the initiative to find Kanon."


    "Why?"


    "It''s simple, do you know what''s the most expensive thing in the world?"


    "Love?"


    "Love my foot." Xi Wang rolled her eyes, "The most expensive thing in the world is the stuff that''s free."


    As Xi Wang spoke, she took out a pen and paper, scribbling something on it.


    Everyone gathered around to see what Xi Wang was writing.


    She wrote down three words in total.


    <strong>Time.</strong>


    <strong>Location.</strong>


    <strong>Transaction.</strong>


    "Do you see anything?"


    "Can you give us another hint?"


    Xi Wang nodded, and drew two lines under the word "Transaction."


    The team fell into deep thought, with Old Zhai raising his hand first, having grasped Xi Wang''s hint.


    "Captain, I understand what you mean now."


    "Let''s hear it."


    "Whether it''s Gu Yi, Dennis, or that sakura country girl, Er Gou always proposes to trade with them, and the location of the trade is always set in that alley of the dark street, time at ten o''clock at night. But that Sakura country girl gave him the ore for free, so it doesn''t count as apleted trade.


    So, does Er Gou set the time and ce for some kind of ceremony?"


    "Or to follow some kind of rule." Xi Wang smiled, "Moreover, this rule demands that the ore must be acquired through a trade, so it absolutely cannote from freeloading. That''s why Er Gou is so anxious, even if he doesn''t say it tonight, he will definitely take the initiative to find Kanon tomorrow."


    "Can Kanon be that smart?"


    "It might not be about being smart, but identally hitting the mark?" Xi Wang raised her eyebrows and said, "She probably also wants to lure Er Gou, just like she lured Tie Zhu. What do you think?"


    ...


    At ten o''clock, Dennis arrived at the dark street as agreed, but he didn''t go straight to find the person. Instead, he hid in a corner, silently watching the agreed-upon ce.


    Indeed, Er Gou arrived on time.


    Three minutester, without Dennis showing up, Er Gou left directly.


    Soon after, Dennis heard the sound of the footsteps of robots behind him. A group of robots wearing optical camouge passed by him, scaring him so much that his heart almost skipped a beat.


    "Damn, was it a trap?"


    Dennis frowned.


    He had felt that Er Gou''s behavior was very strange before. <i>It was clearly possible to trade in the casino, so why insist on trading in the dark street?</i>


    Luckily, he had held back and hadn''t directly traded with Er Gou, otherwise he would definitely be in trouble today.


    On the other side.


    Gu Yi had sessfully found Er Gou in the red-light district and, as predicted, went back to the casino with him for a chat. Gu Yi worried that someone would recognize their writing, so this time, instead of using Chinese characters, he used the intersternguage.


    <i>Swish swish</i>


    Gu Yi started writing on the paper.


    <strong>"There is now arge number of police robots ambushing around the dark street. If weplete the transaction there, we will definitely be discovered."</strong>


    Er Gou looked at Gu Yi.


    <i>This guy''s gaze looks sincere, not at all like he''s lying.</i>


    Er Gou pondered for a moment, continuously thinking about where exactly had he gone wrong.


    He took the pen and paper and also wrote in intersternguage below.


    <strong>"I understand, I''ll look into it. Thank you."</strong>


    Gu Yi nodded, took the piece of paper, and burned it in front of Er Gou.


    "I''m leaving."


    "Wait." Er Gou suddenly reached out to stop Gu Yi, "Where are you going?"


    "Going back to sleep."


    "There''s a separate dormitory behind the casino, you can temporarily stay there for free."


    Gu Yi frowned slightly. In the predictions before, Er Gou had never made such a warm invitation.


    <i>Was it because I burned the paper without any further ado, thus he felt a good impression towards me?</i>


    This was a new development in the storyline, and Gu Yi dared not answer rashly, deciding to first use his talent.


    Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You gently break free from Er Gou.)


    (You: Forget it, I don''t like owing favors.)


    (Er Gou: This is me repaying you. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t know how much I would have suffered tonight. I''ve decided, you are my friend now.)


    (You: Friend?)


    (Er Gou: Do you think I''m not sincere enough? Alright then, I can tell you my real name. My name is Xu Dongdong.)


    (You: My name is Gu Yi.)


    (You instinctively reveal your real name.)


    (Er Gou: You''re a big celebrity at school, why have you fallen to such lows?)


    (You: That''s not important, is it?)


    (Er Gou: Follow me, and I''ll bring you back to the top.)


    (You: Then I''ll thank you in advance.)


    (You shake hands with Er Gou.)


    (You stay in the room provided by Er Gou, which is simr inyout and size to the rooms in the shelter.)


    (You fall into a deep sleep.)


    (Suddenly, you feel a chill all over your body.)


    (You open your eyes and see a monster resembling an octopus on the ceiling, speaking to you in a hoarse voice.)


    (Monster: Are you Gu Yi?)


    (You: What do you want to do?)


    (Monster: Hehe, I know all your secrets.)


    (The monster''s tentacle falls and pierces through your eardrum.)


    (Your head throbs with severe pain.)


    (In a daze, you turn your head and see a dark figure standing at the door, their shadow connecting in a straight line with the monster''s.)


    (The monster consumes your brain marrow and hands it over to the figure.)


    (Everything goes dark before your eyes.)


    (You are dead!)


    (The deduction ends!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, a drop of cold sweat dripping down his forehead.


    If he wasn''t wrong, that monster must have been summoned by Er Gou or someone under Er Gou''smand. It was even capable of inflicting harm on him even within dreams.


    His mental strength was over 100, but he still couldn''tbat it in the dream.


    It seems that he could not ept Er Gou''s invitation.


    Gu Yi hurriedly started the second round of deduction.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You: Forget it, I don''t like owing favors.)


    (Er Gou: This is me repaying you. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t know how much I would have suffered tonight. I''ve decided, you are my friend now.)


    (You: Never mind, it''s really not necessary.)


    (You leave the casino directly.)


    (Just as you step out of the casino, a group of thugs block your way.)


    (Er Gou walks up behind you.)


    (Er Gou: It''s dark outside, and it doesn''t seem safe to spend the night out. I''m doing this to protect you. Trust me, we''re from the same school, I won''t harm you.)


    (You: Alright then.)


    (You nod, reluctantly agreeing to Er Gou.)


    (You arrive at the dormitory.)


    (You lie quietly in bed, staying awake, but by thete night, you finally fall asleep.)


    (The next day, you quietly get up from bed.)


    (You turn your head and find Er Gou standing at your room door like a statue.)


    (Er Gou: Good morning.)


    (You: Good morning.)


    (You feel somewhat uneasy because you notice Er Gou looking at you with a suggestive gaze.)


    (You instinctively touch your butt.)


    (Er Gou: Are you going to work today?)


    (You: Yes.)


    (Er Gou: Come to my ce every night from now on.)

 Chapter 189: Er Gou’s Initial Trust (2)

    <h4>Chapter 189: Er Gou''s Initial Trust (2)</h4>


    (You: Why are you taking such good care of me?)


    (Er Gou: You''re my friend, and friends should take care of each other.)


    (You neither agree nor disagree.)


    (You safely arrive at the Space Jump Base station, and then youe to the mine.)


    (All you see before you is nothingness.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Gu Wen, what are you thinking about?"


    "Uh, nothing." Gu Yi turned around, smiling warmly at Er Gou, "I''m ttered that you think so highly of me, but I still don''t want to owe you any favors."


    "Haha, the one who should be owing a favor is me, not you. Don''t refuse, where else could you stay in the dark street? In a cardboard shack? It''s better to stay with me."


    "Then I thank you."


    "You''re wee."


    Er Gou, putting his arm around Gu Yi''s shoulder, let him stay in the dormitory behind the casino.


    Lying on the bed, Gu Yi heard the system''s prompt.


    <strong><i>"You have gained Er Gou''s initial trust."</i></strong>


    <strong><i>"Your plot exploration rate has increased."</i></strong>


    <strong><i>"Your current plot exploration percentage is 3%."</i></strong>


    Finally, there was some progress.


    Gu Yi nodded, lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling and pondering several questions.


    <i>1. Why was he killed?</i>


    <i>2. Who killed him?</i>


    <i>3. What does the name "Gu Yi" signify in this dungeon?</i>


    <i>4. Why did Er Gou''s attitude towards him suddenly change?</i>


    Firstly, addressing the first question.


    Why was he killed?


    Both the first and the second time in his deduction, he slept in Er Gou''s territory, but only the first time was he attacked by a monster, and not the second time. The main difference was that he did not reveal his real name.


    And, the octopus monster was clearly controlled by someone.


    Initially, Gu Yi thought using fake names was a custom here, but now it seems that the reason people avoid using their real names is to prevent being trapped by others. The library in the Wapeng High School contains many dark magic books, many of which require knowing someone''s real name to cast spells.


    Secondly.


    Who killed him?


    In his confusion, Gu Yi couldn''t see the maniptor''s shadow.


    If his first guess is correct, then the most likely suspect would be Er Gou.


    After pondering for a while, Gu Yi felt there were contradictions.


    Firstly.


    Er Gou voluntarily gave his real name as a sign of sincerity; he couldn''t have guessed that Gu Yi would definitely tell him his real name.


    Secondly.


    Knowing that Gu Yi was an outstanding graduate of Wapeng High School, Er Gou would also know that Gu Yi might have means to counteract dark magic, so he definitely wouldn''t risk using dark magic.


    Lastly.


    There are many around who know Er Gou''s background. Using dark magic to kill someone on his own turf would be suicidal. Er Gou is a smart person with strong means, and he''s definitely not one to make such a low-level mistake and take such a huge risk.


    Therefore, the one who killed him could very likely be a third party, belonging to the enemy forces within the dungeon, that is, the forces of the Unspeakable.


    Er Gou had been under surveince for a long time, every word he and Er Gou spoke might have been monitored by the Unspeakable. This also exins why Er Gou was ambushed by police robots at night.


    If the spection holds... "Xu Dongdong" might not be Er Gou''s real name either,<i></i>it could be a method he uses to win people over.


    The third question.


    What does the name "Gu Yi" signify in this dungeon?


    When Er Gou first heard his name, his expression was very shocked, indicating that Gu Yi''s performance at the Wapeng High School had a butterfly effect, affecting Wapeng City.


    But what''s strange is...


    When he first woke up, he was already in his middle ages, while he was just an eighteen-year-old student during his time at the Wapeng High School.


    <i>Where did the twenty years in between go?</i>


    <i>What did "Gu Yi" experience during these twenty years?</i>


    <i>If these two dungeons are connected, why didn''t the system let him continue ying from the age of eighteen, but instead start the plot from middle age?</i>


    Gu Yi pondered for a moment and felt that the answer to the third question might just be the truth behind the dungeon.


    The missing twenty years could be the reason why Wapeng city has turned into its current state.


    The fourth question.


    Why did Er Gou''s attitude towards him suddenly change?


    In the previous deductions, when he asked a few more questions, Er Gou seemed impatient, even to the point of kicking him out.


    This time, his actions were more decisive, without much idle talk, and he even burned the note on the spot. Surprisingly, contrary to before, Er Gou showed enthusiasm towards him, even pushing the plot exploration rate forward.


    However, this enthusiasm could also be a facade.


    Letting him sleep near the casino was actually to facilitate monitoring and controlling him.


    Perhaps in Er Gou''s view, the fact that hemunicated in intersternguage, didn''t ask unnecessary questions, and ultimately destroyed the evidence, made him seem very reliable, so his trust and favorability towards him... increased?


    Gu Yi touched his nose, remembering Er Gou mentioning he was gay.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    <i>The way I burned that paper and bounced right after kinda turned him on?</i>


    "Damn, I can''t think about this!"


    Gu Yi shook his head, but his mind was still uncontrobly flooded with many dangerous thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong, so he hurriedly rummaged through his belongings, putting on three more pairs of underwear before he felt secure enough to sleep.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi got up from the bed, and wiped his face with the water in the basin, considering it as washing up.


    Here, if one wants to use clean water, it would require taking on an extra sentence, something Gu Yi dared not indulge in right now.


    Gu Yi ced his hand on the doorknob and waited for a while, knowing that once he opened the door, Er Gou would be standing there.


    "Ah, forget it, no need to think about it too much. He has a daughter, so how could he really be interested in men? That must have just been a cover-up, I shouldn''t believe it. Yeah...let''s leave it at that."


    Gu Yi quietlyforted himself a few times before finally opening the door.


    Er Gou turned his head, smiling warmly at Gu Yi, and waved, "Morning, Gu Wen."


    "Hello, Brother Gou."


    "Are you going to work today?"


    "Yes, that''s right."


    Gu Yi nodded, just casually exchanging a few words with Er Gou. Er Gou didn''t mind and turned to go about his business.


    "Phew... let''s go to work first and see if there will be any progress tonight."


    Gu Yi took a deep breath and turned to head to the space jump base, to go to the mine.


    ...


    In the real world.


    Yesterday, the video of Gu Yi wearing three pairs of underwear became theughing stock amongizens.


    Someone even clipped the footage of Gu Yi wearing three pairs of underwear to make an emoji pack.


    When Qu Kangping saw someone doing this, he immediately sent people to investigate.


    Xi Wang didn''t take it seriously, but still said, "Team leader, making emoji packs means everyone''s in a rxed mood, isn''t that a good thing? Why go after them?"


    Qu Kangping thought for a moment and said, "Have you ever considered that this might be a fanatic''s conspiracy? They trivialize serious matters to make humanity lower its guard. Such emoji packs are a nder to Gu Yi''s image, we must take action. Otherwise, if something big happenster, it would be troublesome."


    "Oh..."


    Hearing this, Xi Wang nodded, but she felt somewhat that Qu Kangping was making a mountain out of a molehill.


    Qu Kangping checked his watch, picked up his briefcase, and said, "This morning I have a video conference with the strategy group leaders from various countries, you''ll host the internal meeting of the strategy group for me."


    "Yes, team leader."


    Xi Wang waved her hand, coughed twice, and led everyone to watch the monitor.


    Gu Yi was mining, Kanon was carrying baskets.


    The adventurers were all working, only Dennis was cking off.


    "Captain, Dennis is being heavily criticizedtely..."


    "Yes, look at thements."

 Chapter 190: The Police Inquiry

    <h4>Chapter 190: The Police Inquiry</h4>


    The barrage ofments was really too fast, but everyone still caught a few key pieces of information.


    Currently, the main focus of criticism was centered on Dennis''s attitude towards Er Gou.


    Whether it was Gu Yi or Kanon, they both focused their strategy on Er Gou, while Dennis focused his strategy on the mine supervisor.


    Dennis''s appearance of working without wearing a helmet always seemed somewhat out of ce.


    Early this morning, Dennis was called over by the supervisor.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Dennis."


    "I need to talk to you,e with me."


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Don''t ask, juste with me."


    The supervisor left the service robot in the mine and had his subordinates continue to supervise the work there, then he pulled Dennis away from the mine.


    He brought Dennis to an office.


    Sitting in the office were the supervisor and another high-ranking citizen. The supervisor was very respectful towards this citizen, perhaps he was an even higher-ranking citizen than the supervisor?


    "What''s your name?"


    "Dennis?"


    "It''s your real name?"


    "Yes."


    Dennis nodded. He was ustomed to using fake names; even the name Wild Dog Yamada was made up, and Dennis was just one of his aliases.


    However, he was now representing the Nordics in battle, so the name Dennis should be rtively more "authentic."


    "Good." The high-ranking citizen nodded, scribbling on a piece of paper, "I''m a police officer from the police station. I''ve noticed you''ve been getting quite close to Er Gou recently. Have you noticed any abnormalities about him?"


    "I''ve only met him once," Dennis thought for a moment before saying, "He wanted me to steal ore to sell to him, but I didn''t agree."


    "We''ve already investigated and found that two miners had transactions with Er Gou. To our surprise, the price at which these people traded with Er Gou was extremely low, at most twenty years per pound.


    This unusual phenomenon has caught our attention. However, we haven''t found any evidence of his transactions yet, so we hope you can cooperate with us by going undercover.


    Your mission has two objectives.


    First, lure Er Gou into a transaction and cooperate with us to catch him.


    Second, uncover the truth behind Er Gou''s transactions. Tell us why he''s able to press the prices so low, yet still can find people willing to trade with him."


    "Undercover?"


    "Yes, this mission is dangerous, but the reward is substantial.


    If you can investigate this, we''ll promote you to a second-ss citizen and reduce your sentence by two million years. ording to our records, you''re a modified human and once one of us, making you the most suitable candidate for undercover work we could find.


    Are you willing to take on this mission?"


    Dennis blinked.


    Completing this mission would directly fulfill the conditions for a normal-level clearance, why wouldn''t he?


    "I''m willing."


    Upon hearing Dennis say the words "I''m willing," Xi Wang couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Hey, the mindset of an assassin. In his eyes, what are morals and freedom? He only thinks of benefits, and yet some people actually believe he''s a noble thief? Give me a break."


    ...


    On the other side.


    Kanon, with her slender arms, lifted the bamboo basket, yet not a single man offered to help. The supervisor, on the other hand, stood aside, watching with interest as Kanon sweated profusely.


    The sweat made Kanon''s hair stick together, giving her a uniquely attractive appearance.


    "Hey, you..."


    The Supervisor walked over and poked Kanon''s buttocks with the stick in his hand.


    Kanon frowned slightly, suppressing her feeling of humiliation, turned to face the Supervisor, and asked respectfully.


    "Sir, what''s the matter?"


    "Come with me."


    "Okay."


    Kanon followed behind the Supervisor, realizing he was actually taking her out of the mine.


    Her mind raced, considering how to deal with the Supervisor.


    <i>Is this guy nning to sleep with me?</i>


    <i>Judging from his looks, he seems to be in his thirties or forties, he should probably prefer more proactive women, right? Should I act more maturely?</i>


    <i>No, considering his arrogant demeanor, he might have a dominant streak. Perhaps I should act more like a frightened littlemb to satisfy his desire for conquest?</i>


    <i>Or, should I stick to what I''m best at and act innocent? Most men can''t resist that kind of persona.</i>


    "Hey, woman."


    "Yes!"


    Kanon straightened up, gazing at the Supervisor with her big, watery eyes.


    The Supervisor sized up Kanon, "Come in."


    "Inside the office?"


    "That''s right."


    "Okay."


    Kanon nodded.


    Upon entering the room, Kanon saw another high-ranking citizen sitting there.


    Kanon was momentarily stunned, wondering if this guy liked to do it in the group?


    She had been too naive!


    "What are you doing standing at the door? Come in quickly!"


    "Yes."


    Kanon nodded and stood between the two men, suddenly understanding something.


    The regtions of the Series A rules stated that third-ss citizens couldn''t be alone in a closed space with a high-ranking citizen, so if a high-ranking citizen really wanted something, they had to engage in group activities.


    "Damn...Who in the world came up with such a perverse rule?"


    "Why are you looking down? Stand up straight."


    "Yes, sir."


    Kanon straightened up, observing the high-ranking citizen carefully.


    If the Supervisor indeed coveted her body, then this high-ranking citizen didn''t seem to have such tant desires. She was adept at reading people, and a single nce told her that her initial thoughts were wrong.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Kanon."


    "I mean your real name."


    "It''s Kanon."


    "Your records can''t be found... What''s your real name?"


    After thinking for a moment, Kanon said, "I''ve lost my memory and can''t remember my real name. I gave myself this name."


    "Never mind, it doesn''t matter. Just give me your citizen ID."


    "Okay."


    Kanon recited a string of numbers and alphabets.


    "Ah... I see. Your family was executed for viting thew, which is why you became a third-ss citizen."


    Kanon didn''t speak, which was taken as confirmation.


    The person continued, "Here''s the thing, I''m a police officer from the police station, and I have some questions for you."


    Kanon''s eyes darted around, wondering if this was about the man who drank himself to death yesterday, and now the police were investigating her?


    It probably wasn''t that.


    If she really had broken thew yesterday, the police robots would havee to arrest her then. Moreover, she had already gone through all the A series rules and was certain she hadn''t vited anyws.


    With this thought, Kanon maintained herposure and nodded calmly.


    "Sir, please feel free to ask your questions."


    "What''s your rtionship with Er Gou?"


    "Hmm? Which Dog?"


    "We''ve found that you''ve been in frequent contact with him. What''s your rtionship?"


    "There''s no rtionship at all; I don''t even know who he is."


    "How could that be..."


    "Stop it, I said there''s no rtionship, so there''s no rtionship!"


    Kanon burst out, stomping her feet angrily.

 Chapter 191: The Police Inquiry (2)

    <h4>Chapter 191: The Police Inquiry (2)</h4>


    "That guy is a total freak; I''m so pretty, yet he rejected me. And do you know what his reason for rejecting me was? He actually said he''s gay. Can you believe that?"


    Kanon turned her head, her face filled with anger.


    Thispletely baffled the police officers and the Supervisor, who exchanged looks, utterly at a loss for how to handle the situation.


    Kanon''s performance was simply too brilliant.


    Even theizens in the real world couldn''t stop praising her.


    "Damn... If I didn''t know what was going on, I''d have been fooled by her."


    "Is Kanon''s special talent face-changing?"


    "Did she actually fool the NPCs?"


    The police officer coughed twice, then asked, "So... you two were close before? Do you know what kind of business he has been doing recently?"


    "I don''t know."


    "We''re investigating a case here. Could you please be serious with us?"


    "I really don''t know."


    Kanon shook her head.


    Since the police hade to question her personally, it indicated they hadn''t found any key evidence; otherwise, they would have definitely arrested him and locked him up by now. As long as she yed dumb and imed ignorance, there was nothing they could do to her.


    Er Gou had a phone in his possession, and it was crucial to maintain a good rtionship with Er Gou. No matter what, she had to gain ess to that phone.


    <i>What should I care about the police''s intentions? It''s none of my business.</i>


    "Alright then, you can go back," he said dismissively.


    The police officer shook his head helplessly.


    Although he wanted to crack open Kanon''s head to ask her questions, he really had no way to do so; the rules didn''t allow it. Even though he was a second-ss citizen, he still didn''t have the right to take the life of a third-ss citizen.


    The only one who could decide the fate of humans was "Him."


    "Hmph."


    Kanon scoffed coldly and left the office.


    The viewers opinions of Kanon began to change slightly.


    <i>"This woman didn''t betray Er Gou?"</i>


    <i>"That''s somewhat out of character for her. I thought she would seduce the police."</i>


    <i>"Clearly, the plot around Er Gou is more interesting to dig into!"</i>


    Kanon and Dennis were asked to speak with the police, and Gu Yi was no exception.


    The Supervisor took Gu Yi away from the mine, and Gu Yi immediately used his talent.


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You''re led by the supervisor to the office.)


    (You meet the police officer in the office.)


    (Police Officer: What''s your name?)


    (You: Gu Wen.)


    (Police Officer: That''s not your real name, is it? Please give your real name.)


    (You: That is my real name.)


    (The police officer did not continue to ask but instead was writing something down.)


    (You take a look around; outside the door, there''s a service robot and a police robot. Using psychological suggestions here would surely attract trouble.)


    (Meanwhile, you realize that in the eyes of the government, ID and name are two different things. Even if your ID is confirmed, they can''t confirm your name, which is a critical piece of information.)


    (Once your name is known by others, your situation will be very dangerous.)


    (Police Officer: Then tell me your citizen ID.)


    (You: a320...)


    (Police Officer: Records show that you were sentenced to ten million years for spreading chaos. Why did you do that?)


    (You: I don''t remember.)


    (Police Officer: Forget it, that''s all in the past. Tell me, what''s your rtionship with Er Gou?)


    (You: The rtionship between a tenant and andlord.)


    (Police Officer: That''s it?)


    (You: That''s it.)


    (The police officer didn''t say much more.)


    (This means the police officer only have suspicions, but no solid evidence; otherwise, they would have been more assertive in their questioning.)


    (The police officer shook their head and gestured to the police robot outside the door.)


    (The robot came in, scanning you with a high-precision device.)


    (You feel relieved.)


    (You have a ck orb in your hand, something these robots definitely won''t be able to detect.)


    (After the robot finished scanning, it left.)


    (Police Officer: From now on, you must report to the police station every night at 10 p.m., or you will be sentenced to ten years.)


    (You: Why should I?)


    (Police Officer: Because you have been convicted of spreading chaos before, the police have the right to require you to report regrly.)


    (While speaking, the police officer took out a handbook from his pocket.)


    (He is holding a book of rules that starts with the letter "B." You quickly nce at it, and indeed, within the "B" series of rules, there exists such a regtion.)


    (The timing of 10 p.m. is very indicative.)


    (It''s almost as if they are telling you that the police already know what Er Gou does in the dark street every night at ten. At the same time, they also hope to use you to warn Er Gou not to mess around.)


    (It''s clear that the police could directly capture Er Gou for interrogation, yet they went around in circles through you, unable to directly deal with Er Gou.)


    (You can''t help but admire Er Gou''s criminal methods; even so, the police can''t find any solid evidence of his crimes.)


    (Police Officer: Now, you can go back to work.)


    (You return to the mine.)


    (There is nothingness before your eyes.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi remained silent for a moment before following the Supervisor to the office, where he answered the police''s questions one by one.


    At this time, the Dragon Country''s strategy team also recorded the entire conversation between Gu Yi and the police.


    The three individuals all had contact with the police officer but ended up with vastly different oues.


    "Dennis coborated with the police, bing an undercover spy.


    Kanon refused to provide any useful information, but the police couldn''t do much about her.


    However, Gu Yi attracted special attention from the police officer, who even required him to report to the police station every night at 10 p.m.


    Clearly, the police''s attitude is directly rted to the adventurers'' actions. The closer the rtionship with Er Gou, the more restrictions the police impose on the adventurers.


    Dennis did not coborate with Er Gou, and even voluntarily disclosed everything, earning the police''s trust. As long as he can sessfullyplete his mission, he can smoothly achieve a normal clearance level.


    Currently, Dennis seems to be on the most reliable strategy route. Whereas Gu Yi, entangled deeply with Er Gou and now even living in Er Gou''s house, will face significantly increased difficulty in his strategy."


    Xi Wang spoke while jotting notes in his notebook.


    The strategy team''s agents also furrowed their brows.


    Obviously, the transaction at 10 p.m. each night is a crucial plot point. If one can''t freely go to the transaction point before ten, then the plot can''t progress at all.


    Old Zhai looked calmly at the screen and leisurely said, "Why are you all so nervous? I think this is a good thing."


    "Why?"


    "The more difficulties Gu Yi faces, the more it indicates that his path of action is correct. He''s ustomed to aiming for a perfect level ofpletion."

 Chapter 192: Acting

    <h4>Chapter 192: Acting</h4>


    Gu Yi returned to his work at the mine, his mind preupied with the interrogation process he had just undergone, while also pondering how to solve his current dilemma.


    There was only one conclusion.


    Unless he could immediately gain Er Gou''splete trust, there was no way Er Gou would help him. Moreover, even if Er Gou did end up trusting him, he wouldn''t be able to be present on site to uncover what secrets Dark Street hid.


    "It''s all this damned mine... fuck!"


    Gu Yi vented all his frustration on the ore.


    If it weren''t for the fact that each time he entered the mine he was unable to deduce anything, he wouldn''t bepletely unprepared for his current situation.


    Time ticked by, second by second.


    After his shift, Gu Yi returned to the casino but didn''t find Er Gou. Leaving the casino, he went to the Red Light District to look for people. Not only was Er Gou nowhere to be found, but that woman was also missing.


    With no other options, he could only return to his lodging and close his eyes.


    "Let''s begin."


    (Deduction begins!)


    (You never ended up meeting Er Gou.)


    (At 10 PM, you arrive at the police station.)


    (You push open the door and enter the police station.)


    (The police tell you to stay in the lobby to rest, and after a while, they let you stay in the office,pletely unattended.)


    (You sit in the office, utterly bored.)


    (At this moment, you hear the office phone ringing.)


    (You shout loudly.)


    (A police officer enters the door.)


    (Police: What are you doing?)


    (You: The phone''s ringing, aren''t you going to answer it?)


    (Police: Are you stupid? Where is the phone ringing?)


    (The police curse and sit next to you.)


    (The phone rings again.)


    (You walk over and pick up the phone.)


    (The police don''t care about you, thinking you''re acting foolishly.)


    (Police: Performing some kind of act, huh?)


    (You continue to answer the phone.)


    (Your vision is filled with nothingness.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Why does taking a phone call lead to such a situation?"


    Gu Yi blinked and sat up from the bed.


    ---


    On the other side.


    Kanon finally finished her shift and left the mine covered in sweat. She desperately wanted to take a shower, but taking one would add 20 years to her sentence, equivalent to two days of work for nothing.


    After much deliberation, Kanon decided to take a shower anyway, even if the process was broadcasted live.


    She couldn''t stand the smell of sweat all over her.


    After cleaning up, Kanon''s skin looked much whiter and smoother. She admired herself in the mirror for a while, narcissistically touching her face.


    "Hmm... I wonder how many men I could charm looking like this."


    "Narcissist."


    An untimely taunt came through.


    Kanon turned her head to see a young girl standing beside her. She was dressed in a bold and sexy outfit, applying makeup in front of the mirror.


    "Slut."


    Kanon retorted without backing down as she looked into the mirror.


    The two women exchanged nces and rolled their eyes at each other before walking out of the bathroom.


    At the entrance of the bathhouse, Kanon saw a familiar figure. Er Gou was squatting at the door, smoking a cigarette, staring intently at her.


    "Shit, this stalker." The woman beside Kanon suddenly bowed her head and cursed, attempting to leave via a side path.


    Er Gou squatted by the roadside, extinguished his cigarette, and walked up to her.


    "Do you know Xiao Xue?"


    "Xiao Xue?" Kanon pointed to the woman who had just run away. "You mean her?"


    "Yeah."


    "Who is she?"


    "You don''t need to know."


    "Oh." Kanon nodded. "Did you want something from me?"


    "Meet me on Dark Street at 10 tonight. I want toplete that transaction with you."


    "No way."


    "Thene with me to the casino, and I''ll give you the stuff."


    "That''s not happening either."


    "Why?"


    Kanon pursed her lips. "Don''t you know the police are watching you? I fear if you go to Dark Street again today, it''ll be a dead end for you."


    "Hmm..."


    Er Gou stroked his chin, remaining silent.


    Kanon didn''t press him, waiting silently instead.


    After two minutes, Er Gou finally spoke, "I can''t trust you."


    "Am I that untrustworthy?" Kanon said.


    Er Gou didn''t respond, just silently ced his hand in his pocket.


    Without showing it on her face, Kanon sneaked a nce and noticed the outline of a dagger in Er Gou''s pocket. A chill went down her spine, knowing that if she didn''t make her act convincing enough, Er Gou might kill her.


    She had been in this world for three days now and had grasped the basic situation.


    At this moment, she had to appear sufficiently grief-stricken to gain Er Gou''s trustpletely with her next words.


    "All I wanted was to find a reliable man," Kanon said, her eyes welling up with tears as she leaned in.


    "Stay away, you whore."


    Er Gou pushed Kanon away, the shining tip of the dagger pressing against her skin.


    Their posture was intimately ambiguous, and to any onlooker, they might seem like a passionately embracing couple.


    Kanon''s eyes flickered. She wore a smile, but her eyes were devoid of any will to live.


    Seeing this, Er Gou suddenly froze.


    "Do you want to kill me? Then do it. It''s not like life holds any meaning for me anyway."


    "You''re just a whore. Killing you would be like taking out the trash."


    "A whore? Yes, I am a whore. How can a woman survive in this world? What can we do other than sell our dignity?


    Is it my fault?


    No, it''s this world''s!


    This world is already terminally ill. Everyone is twisted and deformed, living their lives as a joke, and ''He'' is the chief culprit."


    "Aren''t you afraid of dying for saying that?"


    "What does it matter? I''m already serving a sentence of ten million years. If they want toe for me, let theme.


    I''m just like you, a suspect in the eyes of the police, bearing sins no less grave than yours. My parents were also executed for viting thews, leaving me no choice but to end up like this.


    Let me tell you.


    Either let me die, or let this world die!


    If you want to kill me, then go ahead!"


    Kanon suddenly lunged forward, and the tip of the knife cut through her throat.


    Seeing this, Er Gou quickly stepped back, flipping his wrist to retract the dagger into his embrace. He coldly nced at Kanon and said in a low voice, "Stop talking. I can''t protect you if you keep going."


    "So, you finally believe me."


    "For now."


    Kanon fell silent for a moment, hearing the system''s notification in her ear.


    "You have gained Er Gou''s initial trust."


    "Your plot exploration rate has increased."


    "Your current plot exploration rate is 3%."


    Kanon concealed her joy and looked seriously at Er Gou, "What do we do now?"


    "Follow me. I will take you to a ce. The transaction has to bepleted. It''s a necessary ritual and an invible rule."


    Er Gou blinked and pulled Kanon towards the direction of the casino.

 Chapter 193: Er Gou’s Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 193: Er Gou''s Ritual</h4>


    Kanon followed Er Gou to the back door of the casino. He checked his watch and as soon as it hit 10 p.m., he immediately pulled Kanon into the workshop.


    "Where is this?"


    Er Gou didn''t take Kanon deep into the workshop but asked her to stay in the storage room.


    The shelves in the storage room were stacked with ck cases, behind which was a dark red iron door.


    "Wait here for one minute."


    Er Gou shook his finger and turned to push open the red iron door, entering the workspace.


    Kanon pricked up her ears for a while, hearing continuous clinking sounds from next door, unsure of what was being done. She took off her mask and sniffed around the shelves; it seemed they were all filled with t-091.


    The scent of t-091 was unmistakable, like rust sprinkled into rotten milk, very easy to identify.


    Er Gou came back, holding the ck case that Kanon had given himst time.


    "Here we are, shall we start?"


    "Start what?"


    "Hmm... a kind of ritual?" Er Gou said, "Originally, I should have performed this ritual on Dark Street, but I had no choice; the police are watching there too closely, and I can''t work there anymore."


    "What''s in Dark Street, exactly?"


    "You wouldn''t understand even if I told you, so I won''t waste my breath."


    After saying this, Er Gou pulled out a dagger from his chest and without blinking, cut across his wrist.


    Blood flowed down Er Gou''s arm like water, turning Kanon''s face pale. The cut on Er Gou''s wrist was deep, it seemed even the tendons were severed.


    "What are you doing?"


    "This is something I learned in school, it works well." Er Gou raised his arm and said, "You might hear some strange noises, please don''t be too surprised."


    "Okay..."


    Kanon nodded, but soon after, she started hearing strange murmurs in her ears.


    The sound made her feel dizzy, as if she were drugged.


    However, this state didn''tst long. By the time the murmurs disappeared, she and Er Gou were already on Dark Street.


    "How did we get here?"


    "This is magic I learned from the Traveler star people; using this, you can walk in the void and cross gxies in an instant. Now we are both in the casino and on Dark Street."


    "I don''t understand?"


    "Just as I said, exining it to you is pointless." Er Gou looked at Kanon and said, "Now let''splete the second part of the transaction. I can give you the price you want, twenty years off your sentence, how about that?"


    "No, too little."


    "There''s no one else in the world who''ll give..."


    "No, I mean, I don''t want a reduction in my sentence." Kanon shook her head, interrupting, "I want to exchange it for a different reward."


    "What do you have in mind?"


    "I hope to borrow your phone; I want to contact my family."


    Er Gou suddenly became silent, his brows knitted as if they could crush a fly.


    "What? Is it difficult?"


    "No, are you sure that''s all?" Er Gou said, "I thought you''d ask for something more outrageous."


    "I''m not here to extort you."


    "Well, since you say so."


    Er Gou shook his head, squatted in the corner, and started doing something in the air.


    Kanon observed Er Gou''s movements carefully. She noticed Er Gou''s arms straining as if grabbing onto a pull ring, but oddly, she couldn''t see anything.


    "@#......"


    Er Gou closed his eyes, muttering iprehensible words, and repeated them three times.


    Kanon pricked up her ears to listen and silently memorized them in her heart.


    Immediately after, a streak of golden light shed before Kanon''s eyes, and when it faded, they found themselves back in the storage room.


    "It''s over."


    "Over?" Kanon blinked. "What did you just do?"


    "It''s hard to exin. Come on, let''s go to my room. I''ll lend you the phone."


    Er Gou gestured for Kanon to follow him.


    Kanon felt something was off.


    The power Er Gou had just disyed was clearly some type of weird power. In Wapeng, such powers seemed to have been greatly weakened, with everyone under the control ofws and surveince by robots.


    Logically, she had just gained Er Gou''s initial trust, so why would he dare to show her this kind of weird power?


    After some thought, Kanon finally spoke up.


    "Why would you brazenly use that trick in front of me? Aren''t you afraid I''ll speak out?"


    "Would you speak out?"


    "Maybe, maybe not."


    "I''m not afraid if you do." Er Gou smiled. "Even if you did, no one could catch me."


    "Oh?"


    Kanon raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, continuing to follow Er Gou.


    Er Gou walked to the bedside table, took out a cell phone, and handed it to Kanon. "Here you go, but... I must stand by you and watch."


    "Worried I''ll tip someone off?"


    "No, since I agreed to let you make a call, I''vepletely trusted you. Staying by your side is just to help shield you from the robots'' detectors, so you won''t get caught for breaking the rules."


    "Oh, I see."


    Kanon took the phone, focusing her mental energy on it, activating her talent- "Hive Mind."


    Instantly, Kanon''s consciousness left her body, traveling through countless parallel worlds.


    She saw numerous adventurers dying tragically and even found adventurers from others. However, when she tried tomunicate with these adventurers, she couldn''t understand them due tonguage barriers.


    "Forget it. Let''s see who''s left among the human adventurers."


    It seemed like Kanon had spent a lot of time, but only a moment had passed. She then found the only two remaining adventurers.


    Gu Yi and Dennis.


    ---


    At 10 p.m., Gu Yi was sitting in the police station when he heard a phone ringing.


    The police couldn''t hear the ringing, they were just busy with their work.


    Gu Yi couldn''t deduce what would happen if he answered the call, but he decided to pick up the phone anyway.


    <i>Zzzzzz</i>


    A buzzing sound came from the other end, followed by a sh of white light that blinded Gu Yi.


    When his vision returned, he found himself standing in a purely white square room.


    Opposite him stood a voluptuous woman with delicate features, and beside him was a man of average height with sharp eyes.


    "Hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Hattori Kanon, an adventurer from Sakura Country. My ability is called ''Hive Mind,'' which allows me tomunicate with adventurers from parallel worlds.


    This is the ''Hive Space'' I''ve created. We can stay here for twenty minutes without worrying about the passage of time outside. Ten minutes here will only seem like two seconds in the outside world."

 Chapter 194: Hive Mind (1)

    <h4>Chapter 194: Hive Mind (1)</h4>


    Kanon spoke in English, which both Gu Yi and Dennis could understand.


    Dennis looked at Kanon and replied with a smile:


    "Ah... Miss Hattori? I know you, you''re the illegitimate daughter of the great tycoon Hattori Ningji, right? Hey, it really is fate ying its hand, letting you also adventure into this weird world."


    Dennis scoffed disdainfully.


    He was once a citizen of Sakura Country, where he did not have an easy life. Hispany went bankrupt and closed down due to the suppression from the great tycoons, forcing him to sleep under bridges every night.


    If not for these people, Dennis would not have turned to a life of crime.


    Kanon did not respond to Dennis, but instead smiled and nodded at Gu Yi, "Mr. Gu, I didn''t expect to meet you under these circumstances. You are quite the hotshot celebrity right now."


    Gu Yi did not speak, merely nodding as a response.


    "Alright, with time being of the essence, let''s not waste it on pleasantries. Can you talk about your current progress in the storyline? What valuable information have you all gathered?"


    Gu Yi did not speak but took a step back to look at Kanon and Dennis.


    Dennis was the first to speak, curling his lip,


    "I''ve made a deal with the police, they''ve asked me to go undercover to collect evidence of Er Gou''s crimes. As long as I help the police catch Er Gou, I can get a million years off my sentence, directly bing a second-ss citizen."


    "You actually didn''t cooperate with Er Gou?" Kanon asked in return.


    "Because I found that guy to be quite cunning. I worried that cooperating with him would be dangerous, so working with the police felt safer."


    "Mr. Gu, what about you?"


    Gu Yi touched his nose and said, "I''ve gained Er Gou''s initial trust and have now moved into Er Gou''s casino. Unfortunately, I''ve been targeted by the police and have to report to the police station every day."


    "Me too..."


    Kanon detailed her own experience of meeting with Er Gou, including the incident of Er Gou using the Traveler Star race''s techniques in the casino.


    The three adventurers were now in the same boat, and cooperation was their only choice.


    When Gu Yi heard about Er Gou going to the dark street for some strange ritual, he immediately interrupted Kanon.


    "Wait, what did Er Gou say when he was squatting in the corner?"


    "Um... not sure, it was some kind of foreignnguage?"


    "Can you roughly imitate it?"


    Kanon attempted a poor imitation, and Gu Yi repeated it.


    "Is it pronounced like this?"


    "Yes, yes, yes, you got it exactly."


    "That''s Intersternguage, meaning ''neverpromise.''"


    "Right, you pronounced it just like him, and he said it three times in a row."


    Kanon looked at Gu Yi, her eyes nearly sparkling.


    Gu Yi lowered his head, joyfully clenching his fist. In the past, he had always fought alone in the dungeons, only having a chance tomunicate with the real world when the plot progressed to a certain point.


    Now, having two other teammates to help gather information, even being able to dig into the plot from other angles, allowed him to aplish many things he previously couldn''t.


    Dennis curiously asked Gu Yi, "How do you know how to pronounce this word?"


    "You know, my previous dungeon was at the Wapeng High School, right? I learned Intersternguage there, and even after leaving the dungeon world, I can still remember it clearly." Gu Yi pointed to his temple, "As long as your mental strength reaches 100, you can also have a photographic memory."


    "So, does your identity bring you any convenience?"


    "Not only does it not bring convenience, but it also puts me in danger. By the way, you''d better not reveal your real names; ck magic really exists in this world."


    Dennis nodded, then turned to Kanon and asked, "Right, where did you say Er Gou''s storage room was?"


    "Right behind the casino."


    "I''ll have the police raid it tomorrow; that should give him something to worry about."


    "No, it might not work."


    Gu Yi interrupted Dennis, offering a different perspective.


    "If you do that, there are generally two oues.


    First, you get killed by Er Gou. If you don''t have strong closebat abilities and mental erosion resistance, don''t try to confront Er Gou face to face. If he finds out it was you who betrayed him, you probably won''t live past a month.


    Second, Er Gou knows the magic of the Traveler Stars, even if he gets caught, he definitely has ways to escape before being executed.


    You''d better provide this information to the police; it should bring you some benefits. And try to find out what methods they n to use against the magic of the Traveler Star people."


    Hearing this, Dennis silently nodded.


    After all, Gu Yi was a seasoned adventurer who had survived three dungeons, his advice couldn''t be ignored. Gu Yi closed his eyes and thought for a while, then continued, "Additionally, I want to know one thing..."


    "What?"


    "We all know there''s a mapping rtionship between the real world and the Weird World, so can we also influence each other in parallel worlds?"


    "That shouldn''t be the case, right?" Dennis shook his head, "This has been confirmed by others, no need to doubt it."


    "No, it hasn''t.


    Those experiments were conducted before Kanon''s skills appeared. Theoretically, our three dungeon worlds are three parallel lines that do not interfere with each other, but Kanon can intersect these three parallel lines in the Hive Mind space.


    Your ability has just awakened and hasn''t been strengthened yet.


    Like me, my talent initially only served for reconnaissance and exploration, but now I can use it to learn skills and knowledge, and I''ve also mastered the ability of psychological suggestion.


    Perhaps, your talent now has many limitations, I guess as you continue to explore the plot and keep using your talent, your Hive Mind will definitely be stronger.


    Therefore, to maximize the development of your talent, I suggest to act this way."


    As he spoke, Gu Yi opened his right hand and took out paper and pen from the ck orb''s space, speaking as he wrote.


    The two watched in astonishment at Gu Yi''s ability to create something out of nothing, too scared to even breathe heavily.


    Kanon was even more shocked.


    In the Hive Mind space, Kanon was the only god. Once she pulled someone into the space, others couldn''t use any weird powers, yet Gu Yi was able to use his abilities unimpeded.


    No wonder Gu Yi could be a seasoned adventurer.


    "My suggestion is that we tackle this dungeon along three different strategic paths."


    "How so?"


    "First, you, Dennis."


    Gu Yi pointed at Dennis with his pen and said,


    "Cooperating with the police is a good choice for you. With us providing information, you can easily help the police catch Er Gou. Once you sessfully advance to a second-ss citizen, don''t rush to upgrade further. Just keep your status as a second-ss citizen until you clear the dungeon."


    Then, Gu Yi looked toward Kanon.


    "Kanon, the Er Gou storyline isn''t suitable for you to pursue. You just need to maintain a good rtionship with him. The forces behind him are much moreplex than you imagine, and aside from me, no one can delve into the Er Gou storyline on the deepest level."


    "Then... what should I do?"


    "Er Gou has a daughter, did you know?"

 Chapter 195: Hive Mind (2)

    <h4>Chapter 195: Hive Mind (2)</h4>


    "Daughter? Who?"


    "She''s a Street Prostitute."


    "What''s her name?"


    "Um... I don''t know." Gu Yi gestured, "She''s pretty and has a big bo*bs."


    "Bigger than mine?"


    "Not bigger than yours."


    "Is it Xiao Xue? I always thought Er Gou was a stalker. He was blocking the entrance to the women''s bath today, seemed like he was tailing her. I never expected that Er Gou''s daughter would be doing such a thing."


    "Maybe the Xiao Xue you''re talking about is his daughter." Gu Yi nodded, "You could dig into Xiao Xue''s backstory. Xiao Xue has the chance to interact with higher-ss citizens; maybe you can use this opportunity to be a first-ss citizen. But I don''t know if you can lower your status..."


    "No problem, I''ll take on this mission."


    "As for me, as I said before. I''m going to dig into the storyline behind Er Gou, and during this period, I will definitely not upgrade, always maintaining the status of a third-ss citizen."


    Hearing this, Kanon immediately raised an objection.


    "Why do it this way? Wouldn''t that mean you can''t meet the clearance conditions? And if you always carry the title of a third-ss citizen, your actions will be greatly limited; there are many ces in the city you can''t go to."


    "The condition for a perfect clearance is to uncover the truth behind the Wapeng city and to eliminate the Unspeakable, and there''s no requirement regarding the Citizen level. Besides, haven''t you noticed? Er Gou has always been a third-ss citizen, but have you ever seen him caring about the rules?"


    Gu Yi''s two reasons immediately silenced Kanon and Dennis.


    Since Gu Yi entered the weird world, he has never had a clearance rating lower than perfect; no one has the right to question his judgment on the situation.


    Gu Yi continued to exin,


    "So, to meet the conditions for a perfect clearance, you cannot upgrade, and you must gain Er Gou''s trust. He possesses the inheritance of the Mortician, and I guess in this world, no one but me can obtain the inheritance of a Morticians.


    Also, if you have the chance to go to the library, make sure to explore inside, don''t miss any written material."


    "What''s a Mortician?"


    "I could exin, but you might not understand, so I won''t. You just need to trust me."


    In the real world, Gu Yi had also talked to the strategy team about the Morticians, but the history of the Morticians seems toe with a cognitive distortion. Once Gu Yi tells the story of the Mortician, people in the real world misunderstand it as something else.


    Just like the ck orb in his hand.


    Even now, some people think it''s because he unlocked dual talents, and they spend all day researching how to train adventurers to develop dual talents.


    After speaking, Gu Yi looked towards Kanon again.


    "How often can you pull us into this space?"


    "I can use it once a day, and it has to be when we''re all near a phone."


    "In that case, let''s find a ce with a phone every night at 10 and meet to exchange information daily. Everyone, let''s proceed with the n I''veid out."


    "Okay, no problem."


    "Oh, one more thing," Gu Yi touched his chin, "If you can find theplete rules, remember to copy them down and share them in this space."


    "Eh? You don''t have them?" Kanon looked puzzled at the two adventurers.


    Dennis raised an eyebrow, smiling, "So far, I''ve only found the ''A-series'' rules, disgusting and long, I couldn''t be bothered to remember."


    "You found all the rules? Where did you find them?"


    "Isn''t that something you find as soon as you enter the dungeon?"


    Kanon shared her initial experiences in the dungeon, leading to an epiphany for both Gu Yi and Dennis. Their starting points in the dungeon were different from Kanon''s; Kanon''s starting item included breathing appartus, while Gu Yi and Dennis initially had nothing but a torn bag.


    The dungeon world was unfair from the start.


    "I see..." Gu Yi shook his head, "How many rules do you remember now? Tell us as much as you can remember."


    "Alright..."


    After Kanon mentioned a few key rules, the time in the Hive Mind space ended, and the three of them immediately returned to their own dungeon worlds.


    ...


    In the real world, nobody could see the trio''s exchange in the Hive Mind space; only the adventurers themselves were aware of the situation.


    Gu Yi put down the phone, standing next to it.


    The police, curious, admonished Gu Yi, "Hey, don''t touch the phone, you can''t afford it if it breaks."


    "Sorry." Gu Yi gently put down the phone, "Can I go now?"


    The police nced at the wall clock, "Hmm, alright, you can go."


    "Thank you."


    Gu Yi hurried back to the casino andy down, closing his eyes.


    Now that he knew the password for the ring, it was time to see what was hidden underneath it and then decide whether or not to confront Er Gou.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You learned from Kanon that Er Gou will be following his daughter around this time, so you don''t know how long it will take for him to return.)


    (Youe to the dark street alone.)


    (You search around the perimeter for a while but don''t find any police robots or patrolling officers.)


    (You arrive at the corner of the dark street.)


    (You summon the ck orb and grab the ring pull.)


    (A cold voicees to your ears.)


    ("Please say the password.")


    (You: Neverpromise.)


    (You say it three times in a row.)


    (The electricity on the ring pull disappears, and you pull it hard again.)


    (You find aplex mechanical device under the ring pull, and you try to move it.)


    (The mechanical device is firmly fixed to the ground, immovable.)


    (You search around the mechanical device and finally find a series of inscriptions on the side, all in Intersternguage.)


    (1. This device can remove or shield rules.)


    (2. This device can only contain items that belong to you.)


    (3. Each use must be between 10:00-10:03 p.m at night.)


    (This seems to be the instruction manual for the strange device.)


    ("Removing rules" is somewhat difficult to understand, so you set it aside for now.)


    (2 and 3 exin the restrictions of the ritual and also exin why Er Gou must conduct transactions in the dark street, even strictly limiting the transaction time.)


    (After thinking for a while, you decide to use the ck orb to take the device.)


    (You expend a great amount of mental energy and sessfully contain the device within the ck orb''s space.)


    (You enter the ck orb''s space.)


    (The device is intact; upon activation, it immediately releases a strong electric current.)


    (Your body convulses, and you clench your teeth as you exit the ck orb''s space.)


    (You look at your palm, and the burn from the electric current is still there.)


    (You surmise that this is because you did not activate the device at the specified time, resulting in punishment.)


    (You return to the casino with the device.)


    (You find that you haven''t been harmed at all.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, a slight smile on his lips.


    The reason Er Gou couldn''t leave the dark streets before was because he couldn''t move the device out of there, but now, with the help of the ck orb, Gu Yi could easily do what Er Gou couldn''t.


    Without hesitation, Gu Yi immediately ran to the dark streets, took the device, and brought it back.


    The journey was safe, without encountering any danger. Lying on the bed, he closed his eyes and rested for a while until Er Gou returned to the casino.


    Gu Yi walked out to find Er Gou looking haggard and somewhat despondent, sitting in the backyard, drinking alone.


    Seeing this, Gu Yi closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (Youe to Er Gou''s side without speaking.)


    (You know Er Gou is a man who dislikes idle talk, so you decide tomunicate with him as concisely as possible, just likest time.)


    (You sit opposite him.)


    (You: I got it back.)


    (Er Gou: What?)


    (You don''t speak but ce the device in front of Er Gou.)


    (Er Gou''s mouth falls open.)

 Chapter 196: Three Paths

    <h4>Chapter 196: Three Paths</h4>


    (Er Gou: How were you able to bring it here?)


    (You: It''s hard for me to exin that to you.)


    (Er Gou looks over the device from all angles, unable to contain his excitement, but soon his brows furrow, and he looks angry.)


    (Er Gou: How did you know the password?)


    (Not knowing how to exin, you decide not to offer an exnation, curious to see Er Gou''s reaction.)


    (Er Gou gradually calms down, he too remains silent.)


    (Your keen mental power tells you that if you can''t persuade Er Gou, he might very well kill you.)


    (You close your eyes and think for a while.)


    (The phrase "Neverpromise" was found on a slip of paper in the library of the Wapeng High School where you studied. Er Gou possesses the technological heritage of a mortician, which means he likely knows the history of the morticians, or perhaps he is a descendant of one.)


    (You: I am on the same path as you.)


    (Er Gou is taken aback.)


    (You: What you want to do, I want to do as well.)


    (Er Gou nods, pointing to the device on the ground.)


    (Er Gou: Bring that thing and follow me.)


    (You nod, stowing the device in the ck orb''s space.)


    (Er Gou leads you to a workshop behind the casino, through the storage room, into the workshop. Two robots inside are working hard.)


    (Er Gou: Since you''ve got that device, you probably know what it''s for, right?)


    (You: I don''t quite understand it.)


    (Er Gou: This thing can shield rules. I found it among the relics of the morticians. That''s why I can break thew under the police''s nose, and they can''t do anything about me.)


    (You suddenly understand.)


    (Er Gou: However, this device needs t-091 as energy each time, so I had to buy up t-091 as the energy to activate it, and it must be obtained through transactions. Additionally, the excess t-091 has to be kept as spellcasting materials, and just these are nowhere near enough.)


    (You make a grand gesture and arge pile of raw ore appears.)


    (Er Gou exims in surprise.)


    (You quickly stow the ore back.)


    (You: Do you believe me now?)


    (Er Gou: You''re no ordinary person, how do you know so much?)


    (You: Even if I exined, you wouldn''t understand.)


    (Er Gou: Fine, let''s forget it for now. Come here at 10 p.m tomorrow night with the thing, and I''ll tell you what I''ve been doing every day.)


    (You: No problem.)


    (You return to your room.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes, taking a deep breath.


    As he had suspected, Er Gou''s actions were likely all aimed at overthrowing "His" leadership. The true condition for perfectly clearing the game was to kill the ruler of this world.


    However, Gu Yi discovered a significant weakness in Er Gou.


    He was always alone.


    Up until now, Gu Yi had never seen Er Gou share his secrets with anyone. How exhausting must it be for such a person to live in this world?


    Gu Yi let out a soft sigh, walked over to Er Gou, and said in a low voice, "I got it back."


    "What?"


    Er Gou looked at Gu Yi, confused and bewildered.


    ...


    Kanon rejected Er Gou''s invitation, decisively leaving the casino, refusing to stay there.


    This all happened after Kanon made a phone call.


    After the call, Kanon didn''t say a word.


    "Didn''t get through?"


    "No, it got through." Kanon put down the phone and said, "Can Ie here every day?"


    "To whom you were calling?"


    "My father. I have to call him every night at 10, it''s just a pity he can''t answer the phone anymore. I''ve kept his mobile number just so I can hear his ringback tone."


    "Mmm..."


    Er Gou nodded.


    Kanon''s excuse was a bit strange, and Er Gou still felt he couldn''t fully trust her.


    "You can stay here."


    "No, I don''t want to, thank you."


    Kanon smiled, bowed, and turned to leave the casino.


    Outside, several thugs blocked Kanon''s way.


    Kanon''s face lost color, and she didn''t dare to confront Er Gou.


    Gu Yi had once warned her that if Er Gou insisted on having her stay at the casino, she should try not to refuse, as it could likely trigger a fatal g.


    "Why won''t you let me go?"


    "It''s too dangerous outside; it''s safest for you to stay here."


    "Are you worried I''ll betray you?" Kanon asked with a bitter smile. "Don''t you trust me?"


    "It''s not that. I''m just saying it to protect you."


    Er Gou shook his head, took Kanon by the arm, and led her into a house behind the casino.


    Kanon closed her eyes. She didn''t know why Er Gou was doing this or what his ultimate goal was; she could only act ording to Gu Yi''s instructions.


    To be honest, since the third day, Kanon had started to feel overwhelmed.


    After hearing Gu Yi''s variousplicated arrangements and his spections about the plot, Kanon hadpletely lost track. Gaining Er Gou''s trust was entirely due to her intuitive reaction and excellent acting skills.


    "It''s okay, Kanon... You can definitely do it."


    Kanon closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep.


    Starting tomorrow, she decided to quit her job at the mine and nned to meet up with Xiao Xue and join her group.


    ...


    Dennis wrote down a bunch of information and handed it over to his superiors.


    All this information was provided by Gu Yi.


    Without the help of Gu Yi and Kanon, even if he continued to undercover for another ten days, he might not have been able to find out anything.


    "These two people''s skills are simply godlike. If I had these skills, I would have cleared the dungeon a long time ago."


    Dennis muttered somewhat resentfully. In his heart, Gu Yi and Kanon were just lucky to have drawn two incredible skills, while his own talent, besides enhancing his survival ability, was practically useless.


    Rotten meat was hard to swallow, but fortunately, it wasn''t expensive.


    After finishing his meal, Dennis immediately took the report to the desk of the police station chief.


    The chief, wearing sses, looked at the report and then at Dennis with some surprise.


    "How did you investigate this information? Especially, what is this traveler star''s magic?"


    "Today, I pretended to make a deal with Er Gou, and he used a teleportation skill in front of me, and he also told me that this is a traveler star''s skill..."


    Dennis talked eloquently, exaggerating Kanon''s experiences.


    The chief believed himpletely and immediately arranged for someone to investigate the "Traveler Star Aliens." It wasn''t long before one of his subordinates called him, providing basic information about the Traveler Star residents.


    "You''re right, if that''s true, then we really have no way to catch him. But if he needs to sacrifice blood to use the traveler star''s ability, it means he is, at least, human like us."


    "So..."


    "So, we must have a way to deal with it."


    The chief pondered for a moment, then extended his right hand towards Dennis, "I''ll give you a little reward."

 Chapter 197: A Small Drink (1)

    <h4>Chapter 197: A Small Drink (1)</h4>


    Dennis nodded and, in a show of understanding, extended his right hand as well.


    The chief drew a symbol on Dennis''s wrist, and his sentence was directly reduced by ten thousand years.


    "This..."


    "This is your reward. As long as you continue to provide effective clues, you''ll be able to get out of your current situation quickly. You''re talented, and we in the Wapeng city never bury talents."


    Dennis nodded, his curiosity drawn to a corner of the desk.


    Therey a library card.


    In the Hive Mind space, Kanon had once shared the B-Series rules, stating that one needs a library card to enter the city library, and to get a library card, one must at least be a second-ss citizen.


    Gu Yi had mentioned the importance of the library. Maybe he could use this opportunity to explore the library?


    "Chief, I have a request."


    "What is it?"


    "Could I borrow your library card?" Dennis pointed to the corner of the desk, "I can wait on reducing my sentence. I''d like to take a look at the library."


    "Why is that?"


    "I''ve always liked reading. As a third-ss citizen, I don''t really have any interesting leisure activities. The only ce I can go for entertainment is the casino, and that''s too boring."


    "I see."


    The Police Chief scratched his head, thinking it wasn''t much of an issue.


    As long as one has a library card, anyone can enter the library; they don''t restrict ess based on the citizen''s ss.


    After thinking for a moment, the station master said, "Alright, take it. I haven''t been going to the library muchtely anyway."


    "Thank you, chief!"


    Dennis nodded, turned around, and left the office.


    ...


    In the real world.


    The armed conflict between the Dragon Country and neighboring countries was intensifying. At this point, aside from the strategy teams from various countries, very few people were paying attention to the strategies for the Weird world.


    That night, Xi Wang was sleeping in the dormitory when she suddenly heard a harsh roaring sound from the sky.


    Startled from her sleep, Xi Wang pushed open the window and looked up into the sky.


    It looked like a massive meteor streaking across the western sky, but upon closer inspection, it was not a meteor but a missile.


    The missilended in the west, igniting half of the sky. It was a long time before Xi Wang heard the deafening explosion.


    Xi Wang quickly picked up her phone and dialed Qu Kangping''s number.


    "Team leader."


    "What''s up?"


    "I saw a missile in the sky." Xi Wang asked anxiously, "Is there really a war going on?"


    Qu Kangping replied with a bitterugh, "Bear Country couldn''t hold out any longer and has now dered war on its neighboring countries, even resorting to using weapons of mass destruction. I didn''t expect that we, being so far away, could see the explosion of a missile."


    "Will it reach us here?"


    "Hard to say. The public pressure is so great now, people aren''t paying attention to the weird world anymore. Residents near the border have already started to move inrge numbers, taking shelter in civil defense facilities."


    "Has the weird power already started affecting our country?"


    "Not just our country, but the whole of human society. This time, the weird power wants us to kill each other, which is more efficient than releasing weird creatures.


    By the way, tell your subordinates that in a week, we''ll be leaving the base to work in the air-raid shelters in the mountains. Tomorrow, everyone has to move all kinds of equipment from the base; the strategy meeting will be paused for a day."


    "Um... understood, team leader." Xi Wang hung up the phone, muttering to herself, "What week, I bet it won''t even take three days before I have to start working in a civil defense facility."


    ...


    In the workshop behind the casino.


    Gu Yi showed Er Gou a bit of creating something out of nothing, scaring Er Gou so much that his eyes bulged out, looking at Gu Yi in disbelief.


    "Take it back."


    With a wave of his hand, Gu Yi took everything on the ground back into the ck orb, directly consuming nearly 50 points of his mental strength.


    "Now can you believe me?"


    "You''re no ordinary person, how do you know so much?"


    "Even if I exined, you wouldn''t understand."


    "Fine, let''s forget it for now. Come here at 10 p.m tomorrow night with the thing, and I''ll tell you what I''ve been doing every day."


    Gu Yi nodded and silently returned to his room.


    He had justin down to recover some mental strength when he heard a knock at the door.


    "Gu Wen, are you asleep?"


    "Damn it..." Gu Yi cursed softly, "No, what''s up?"


    "Come out and have a few drinks with me."


    "Crazy..."


    Gu Yi shook his head but decided to go out after thinking it over.


    Although he had just received Er Gou''s verbal approval, the system hadn''t indicated an increase in trust, suggesting Er Gou was still wary of him.


    Gu Yi put on his coat and walked into the yard.


    The two sat under the courtyard, with a small tea table between two stools, on which were ced two bottles of wine and some snacks.


    "Sit down."


    "Alright."


    Gu Yi sat down on the stool, and Er Gou handed him a bottle of wine that was already open, but Er Gou didn''t provide him with a wine ss.


    Gu Yi nced at Er Gou, who also didn''t use a ss and directly drank from the bottle.


    "Are you drinking water or wine?"


    "Drinking wine straight from the bottle feels different."


    They clinked bottles.


    Gu Yi took a sip of wine and immediately felt refreshed; surprisingly, the drink had the effect of helping to restore mental strength. He couldn''t resist and took a few more gulps.


    "Tastes good, doesn''t it?"


    "Mm."


    Both tried to find topics of conversation but seemed unable to.


    "Can I ask you a question?"


    "What?"


    "Why do you offer such low prices to those people? Just twenty years to buy ores?" Gu Yi paused before adding, "If they get caught, they''re sentenced to ten thousand years. The cost and the gain arepletely disproportionate."


    Er Gouughed heartily, put down the bottle, and said leisurely, "You''re from our school, yet you forgot the exam questions?"


    "What?"


    "Now let me ask you, would you trade your life for money?"


    "No, I wouldn''t, not for any amount."


    "In today''s era, sentences are like debts. Webor, we contribute, as if repaying a debt. Guess how many miners in the mine are trading their lives for money?


    To save money on renting breathing apparatuses, they use the simplest helmets for protection. The slow ones die within a year, the quick ones in three days, all to earn an extra thirty to fifty years off their sentences."


    "It''s so hard, I''d rather die."


    "Die? If only it were that simple."


    These sentences don''t just disappear into thin air.


    Even after you die, they make your soul work, enduring tortures no less than when alive.


    So, they''d rather exert every effort while alive to earn even a month off their sentence than to suffer endless torment after death.


    Working in the mine, you''re always working for someone else. But trading with me, you get real ie.


    Elsewhere, a tiny mistake results in thousands to tens of thousands of years in sentences.


    Walk too fast indoors, a thousand years.


    Talk too much to a high-ss citizen, a thousand years.


    For wearing the wrong clothes, going to the wrong ces, seeing what shouldn''t be seen, a thousand years.


    See, whatever you do, it''s the same.


    The standard of judgment is in ''His'' hands, never leaving room for rebuttal.


    In that case, it''s better to earn a bit more. After all, trading sentence time is feasible under ''His'' rules.


    With me, they can enjoy temporary freedom, remove their heavy helmets, and freely dodge the rules, so they are very willing to trade with me, no matter how exorbitant the price.


    In their eyes, freedom is the most valuable thing.


    And only by my side, can they breathe freely.


    You needn''t pity them, nor reproach me. The world is just like this."

 Chapter 198: Sharing a Drink (2)

    <h4>Chapter 198: Sharing a Drink (2)</h4>


    "Just because it''s so, does it make it right?"


    Gu Yi took a swig of liquor, his gaze intense.


    Er Gou was startled for a moment and looked at Gu Yi in surprise.


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Do you know about Gu Yi?"


    "Yeah, of course." Er Gouughed, "He was quite the celebrity at our school. But after graduation, I never heard about him again. Just a few days ago, I got the news that he made a big mistake and has been demoted to a third-ss citizen."


    "Do you know how he answered during the final exam?"


    "He must have sacrificed himself to save others, right?"


    "No, he dealt with the person who posed the question.


    The trolley problem is the most boring thought experiment in the world and also the most insoluble one. It attempts to hijack human nature, forcing you to make a seemingly correct choice.


    Once you start to think about or even answer the trolley problem, you have already lost your humanity. No one has the right to strip another human being of their freedom, to decide someone else¡¯s life and death.


    Even ''Him'' too."


    "That''s a fascinating idea, but it''s hard to implement, the power of one person is ultimately limited."


    "That''s why you need everyone''s strength.


    The dopamine that freedom can bring is second only to s*x, and this feeling can be addictive. So, those miners, even knowing your prices are unfair, are still willing to trade with you.


    If you want to realize your ideals, they are your truerades."


    "The crowd is a mob, have you forgotten what school taught us? Once humans join a collective, they lose rational thought and be senseless beasts."


    "You''ve said yourself that the school''s teachings are wrong. Why do you still treat their facies as absolute truths? Aren''t you even using their knowledge and wielding their weapons, trying to defeat them with that?"


    Er Gou blinked, smiling, "You talk like a philosopher writing prose."


    "A good analogy," Gu Yi responded, "suddenly makes me feel like going home."


    "Hehe¡­"


    The two exchanged a smile.


    Finally, at this moment, Gu Yi could confirm that the man in front of him was the "deceased" Chen Zeyu, and Er Gou also confirmed Gu Yi''s identity.


    <i>Atst, the system''s prompt came to his ears.</i>


    <i>"You have gained Er Gou''splete trust."</i>


    <i>"Your plot exploration rate has increased."</i>


    <i>"Your current plot exploration rate is 10%."</i>


    ...


    In the Real world.


    Qu Kangping watched Gu Yi debate logically and thoroughly with Er Gou, taking a deep drag of his cigarette until his lungs burned before finally exhaling.


    "A philosopher writing prose? Heh, Ah Jian also liked to use that analogy," Qu Kangping said with augh, "Gu Yi has grown up."


    Suddenly lights went out.


    The cigarette was extinguished.


    Inside and outside the house, darkness enveloped everything.


    As wars raged barbarically across the globe.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Kanon got up from bed and passed the courtyard, just in time to meet Er Gou, who woke up early. He nodded at her, which counted as a greeting.


    By now, Er Gou had effectively put her under house arrest.


    Once she left the casino, not only would the police robots keep an eye on her, but the casino''s thugs also tantly followed her, almost as if they had "We''re tracking you" written on their faces.


    "How annoying..."


    Kanon frowned.


    Er Gou was impervious to her charms, her attempts at seduction were nearly ineffective against him. Under such close surveince, Kanon had no freedom at all.


    Kanon dared not make any rash moves, as any behavior that might unsettle Er Gou could put her in danger.


    "I really don''t know why Gu Yi dared to pursue Er Gou''s route?"


    It was only then that Kanon realized that among all the paths, Gu Yi''s was the most difficult.


    Er Gou is a very suspicious person, and working with him means having to pass his tests over and over again.


    A slight mistake, and it''s all over.


    Kanon worked hard in the mine, knowing that the only way to evade her pursuers was to hide in the women''s bathroom.


    Er Gou¡¯s men included no women, so as long as she could get into the women''s bathroom, her problems would be solved.


    Moreover, she could meet Xiao Xue in the bathroom, possibly the only chance she now had to make contact with her.


    After work, Kanon headed straight for the women''s bathroom.


    After her bath, Kanon sat quietly by the door waiting, and, as expected, Xiao Xue arrived.


    Kanon approached with a smile, initiating conversation.


    "Hello."


    "Hmm?" Xiao Xue turned to nce at Kanon, "What is it?"


    She had some impression of Kanon, but not a good one.


    "I''m looking for a job."


    "A job?"


    "Yes, I don¡¯t want to mine anymore, it¡¯s too tiring."


    "Ha? You were mining?" Xiao Xue pinched Kanon¡¯s shoulder, feeling its bbiness, "You don¡¯t have a shred of muscle, and you say you mine?"


    "I''ve been doing it for three or four days, I just can¡¯t continue, it¡¯s not suitable for me."


    "Do you know what I do?"


    "Of course."


    Xiao Xue lifted Kanon''s chin, examining her, "Not bad, good quality. Are you sure you want to work with me?"


    "Of course."


    "This is a job where dignity is kicked around like a ball; you can¡¯t act like a princess here."


    "Hey, in this world, who cares about dignity and life? Just yesterday, I saw a man suffocate in the mine because he refused to rent a breathing apparatus. After he died, the supervisor wouldn¡¯t even cover him with a cloth; they dragged him out like a dead dog."


    Kanon watched Xiao Xue closely; her words seemed to have struck a chord.


    "Okay, I get it. Come with me, you can¡¯t receive clients dressed like that, so follow me."


    Xiao Xue and Kanon left the bathroom together.


    As expected, Er Gou was indeed lurking nearby, and he was visibly shocked to see them together.


    "See that man?" Xiao Xue pointed towards Er Gou in the distance, "Better stay away from him; he¡¯s a criminal, nothing goodes from being with him."


    "He¡¯s the casino owner, right? He¡¯s had people tracking me these past few days."


    "Oh, that¡¯s typical of him."


    Xiao Xue shook her head and walked off toward the red-light district.


    Er Gou caught up and blocked their path.


    "Where are you going?"


    "To work."


    "Can¡¯t you find another job?"


    "What¡¯s it to you? Didn¡¯t you say you no longer have a daughter?"


    "That was said in anger." Er Gou shook his head, "You don¡¯t know how dangerous it is out there."


    "Dangerous? Is there anywhere safe in this world? Just get out of my way."


    "You bothe with me."


    "If you keep blocking me, I¡¯m calling the police!"


    Xiao Xue''s eyes darted around, aware that ordinary police robots were no match for Er Gou and only real police could handle him. She grabbed Kanon''s arm and headed resolutely towards the police station.


    "Stop!"


    Er Gou grabbed Xiao Xue''s shoulder.


    Seeing this, Xiao Xue immediately screamed at the top of her lungs: "Help, police! I''m being assaulted!"

 Chapter 199: Library of Wapeng

    <h4>Chapter 199: Library of Wapeng</h4>


    A few police officers turned their heads toward Er Gou.


    Er Gou cursed under his breath, pulled a mask from his pocket to cover his face, and turned to run. The police were not about to let him escape easily and quickly chased after him.


    Kanon covered her mouth in surprise¡ªindeed, only a daughter could handle her father. If she had tried that herself, Er Gou might have already plunged a dagger into her chest.


    "Let''s go, follow me."


    By the time the two women reached the red-light district, it was already night.


    Xiao Xue looked at Kanon in amazement because her makeup skills were simply the best among all the sisters. Seeing Kanon''s high level of makeup skills, the other sisters also gathered around.


    "Sister Kanon, can you do my makeup?"


    "Mine too, can you help me with it?"


    "Your makeup skills are too good!"


    "Uh... everyone, don''t rush, one at a time."


    Just an hour after her arrival, Kanon had be someone like a hot celebrity, and Xiao Xue watched her curiously.


    <i>¡ªClearly, this girl is no ordinary dirty miner.</i>


    Xiao Xue pulled Kanon aside to a quieter spot.


    "Kanon, tell me, who are you really?"


    "I am just me."


    "You must be some kind of Young Lady, right?"


    "I used to be, but now I¡¯m a prostitute just like you."


    "I can hardly bear to let you go on the streets." Xiao Xue said, "In a couple of days, a group of big shots wille here. The leader¡¯s name is Da Luoshan, he''s the highest ss citizen we can meet."


    "First ss?"


    "Yes, so I¡¯ve decided to have you lead us in weing him, and I also hope you can train us in basic etiquette so we don¡¯t embarrass ourselves. This is a good opportunity for us to bridge the social ss gap."


    "I understand."


    Kanon nodded but did not quite agree with Xiao Xue¡¯s words.


    ss jumping wasn''t just about spreading one''s legs.


    Once a man has had you, you¡¯re of no value to him anymore¡ªit''s the ones he can''t have that he cares about.


    "By the way, can I make a phone call?"


    "What do you need to do?"


    "I have some personal issues to resolve. Can you help me?"


    "Of course." Xiao Xue said, "Our club''s boss is a second-ss citizen, and he has ess to a phone. You can use his ID to make a call. He won''t mind."


    "Thank you."


    Kanon breathed a sigh of relief.


    Being here meant she was essentially free from Er Gou¡¯s surveince.


    Gu Yi had once said that Er Gou''s influence was only within the casino and the dark street. Once out of his turf, Er Gou would be much more restrained.


    Kanon checked the time; it was only 9:30 PM, with half an hour to go before their scheduled meeting time.


    ...


    Dennis had earned enough leniency in his sentence to quit his job at the mine after receiving a sentence reduction and focused on exploring other ces as instructed by Gu Yi.


    <i>"Why isn''t he monitoring Er Gou?"</i>


    <i>"This undercover agent must be the least diligent one ever, right?"</i>


    On the barrage ofments, people were puzzled by Dennis''s idle behavior.


    As Dennis wandered around the city, whenever he approached an off-limits area, police robots would promptly surround him, barring him from anything rted to higher-ss citizens.


    "Really annoying."


    Dennis muttered curses under his breath as he approached the Wapeng City''s Library, holding the police station chief''s library card.


    The library had five floors, and visitors needed to climb over fifty steps to reach the grand entrance. Two third-ss citizens armed with cleaning tools tirelessly swept the tiles on the steps. Despite their hard work in any weather, they could only earn a month''s reduction in their sentence per hour ofbor, hardly making a year''s reduction in a full day.


    Dennis couldn''t afford to pity them; he ascended the steps quickly and pushed open the library''s main door.


    A second-ss citizen in uniform approached him, blocking his way with a less-than-pleasant attitude, "Is this your first visit?"


    "Yes, what about it?"


    "Still asking what''s about it?" The second-ss citizen pointed towards a distant passageway, "That entrance is for visitors, you need to use the staff entrance. Didn''t your onboarding training tell you?"


    "I¡¯m not here to work, I came to borrow books."


    "To borrow books? Where¡¯s your library card?"


    "Right here."


    Dennis took out the library card.


    The second-ss citizen took the card and briefly checked the citizen ID on it.


    Shortly after, a service robot approached. It extended its probe to inspect the library card to verify its authenticity. Meanwhile, the second-ss citizen noted down the ID from the card and, in front of Dennis, called the police station chief to confirm the situation.


    Other visitors did not have to undergo suchplicated procedures.


    They simply presented their library cards to the service robot for a quick scan, and then they could freely browse through the library. Only Dennis was detained at the entrance, unable to proceed.


    After a full ten minutes, the second-ss citizen finally returned the library card to Dennis.


    "Alright, you can go in now. However, since you''re borrowing this card, you can only read the books inside the library; you don¡¯t have the right to take any books out. Understand?"


    "I understand."


    "Go ahead then."


    "Thank you."


    Dennis nodded and walked into the library.


    As everyone saw Dennis d in coarse clothing, they showed disdainful expressions, and some even mocked him openly from behind.


    "Third-ss citizen? Can he even read?"


    "Hmph."


    Dennis scoffed coldly, unwilling to engage with these contemptuous folks.


    He moved among the various bookshelves, finding the books mostly obscure and difficult toprehend. He recognized all the words, but whenbined, he couldn''t understand them at all.


    He was on the third floor of the library.


    The books here were too specialized; without aplete knowledge base, they indeed were hard to understand.


    Dennis decided to stop flipping through books and instead observed the other readers.


    About seventy percent of the readers were second-ss citizens, all working or studying withputers in the library. The remaining were first-ss citizens, whose reading material appeared even more obscure.


    Third-ss citizens, all in uniform gray outfits, performed simple cleaning tasks. The librarians were at least second-ss citizens because the educational level of third-ss citizens was not high, and letting them organize books would only create more disorder.


    Dennis pondered for a moment.


    Here, the citizens were all so-called higher-ss, and he was just a third-ss citizen. Just because they could read here didn''t mean he could too.


    <i>Could it be...</i>


    <i>In this world, do lower-ss citizens not have any literary works avable for them to read?</i>


    Dennis shook his head and walked downstairs, heading towards the ground floor.


    On the first floor, the scene waspletely different.

 Chapter 200: Observations in the Library

    <h4>Chapter 200: Observations in the Library</h4>


    When Dennis reached the first floor, he noticed that there were more third-ss citizens here, and their clothes were much more respectable than his. However, the decor on this level was not as exquisite as the one upstairs.


    The shelves were covered in dust, and all the windows and doors around were open. Vehicles and pedestrians passed by at all times, making it impossible to concentrate.


    In A-series rules, there was a rule that lower-ss citizens could not gather in enclosed spaces, so the first floor was designed to be semi-open.


    Dennis took a closer look at the clothing of these third-ss citizens. They all wore special badges, each representing the name of a first-ss citizen.


    This was stipted in C-series rules.


    Once you became a first-ss citizen, you had the right to employ third-ss citizens as your servants, but you were also responsible for their food, clothing, shelter, and even their sentences.


    Those badges were proof of their servant status.


    The janitors on the first floor did their cleaning perfunctorily, and the second-ss citizens hardly ever came here to organize the books, so the task of tidying up the books also fell to the janitors.


    The books on the shelves were misaligned and the pages were worn and dirty, yet many people still came to borrow them back and forth.


    Dennis randomly picked up a book and flipped through it.


    The books repeatedly mentioned a person named Constantine.


    He was a billionaire whose family''s daily ie was equivalent to the whole Wapeng''s monthly fiscal revenue in the past.


    The book said he started by mining and set up an investmentpany. During the economic depression, Constantine decisively invested all his wealth in the development of intelligent robots.


    Today, all of the Wapeng''s intelligent robots were researched by Constantine.


    The sess of smart technology allowed Constantine to ascend to the throne, and he established aprehensive legal system and citizen hierarchy system, whichpletely eliminated war, greed, and selfishness in the Wapeng. After his death, he was revered as a deity.


    Then everyone dedicated themselves to the Wapeng and worked together for a better future.


    "What is this nonsense?"


    Dennis frowned and shoved the book back into the shelf.


    The entire book glorified the achievements of Constantine alone, without mentioning anyone else.


    Who were the engineers who wrote the A.I algorithms?


    Who were the designers of the robots?


    Was Constantine alone worth all the designers, developers, and manufacturers'' efforts just because he provided the funding? Couldn¡¯t they also have a ce in history?


    As for that so-called citizen hierarchy system, isn''t it just a tool for rulers to exploit and fool the lower-ss citizens?


    Dennis shook his head and continued browsing other shelves.


    Most of the rest were novels, mostly about romance or fantasy adventures, or business stories starring Constantine as the protagonist.


    Or it was some gossip about Constantine. Many people said that Constantine particrly loved stories, so he greatly encouraged everyone to write novels, saying, "Liking stories is an instinct carved into human genes."


    Dennis felt that this was the only correct thing Constantine had ever said.


    Because, the writing style of many novels in the library was very captivating. Dennis stood by the shelves reading, not even realizing he was hungry.


    Ding-a-ling¡ª


    A clear bell rang from outside.


    "Time to close, everyone leave."


    A second-ss citizen walked to the door, ringing a bell loudly, urging everyone to leave.


    Dennis nced at the clock on the wall, surprised it was already 9 p.m. He reluctantly put down the novel in his hands and walked towards the door.


    There was a small table by the door with a notebook on it for readers to leavements. Dennis curiously picked it up and flipped through it.


    There wasn''t a single message in the suggestion notebook.


    Dennis only saw one line of handwritten text on the title page.


    <i>"Believe in the power of words."</i>


    ...


    Today, Gu Yi finished work a bit early, leaving the mine at six in the evening.


    The supervisor urged them to leave quickly, even forbidding them to dine in the staff canteen.


    Gu Yi took some biscuits out of his pocket for dinner, which he had brought from Er Gou the night before.


    Crunch, crunch¡ª


    As Gu Yi chewed on the biscuits, he happened to see a car passing by the space jump station. The car must have been customized, with a roof half as high as usual and very wide doors, big enough for two people to walk through side by side.


    The car stopped at the main gate.


    A very fat man emerged from the car, barely fitting sideways through the wide door. The fat man was over two meters tall, and each step he took made the floor shake.


    Gu Yi craned his neck to take a look at the fat man.


    "It''s actually Da Luoshan?"


    In the previous dungeon, Gu Yi had once killed the mirror image of La Luoshan in a dream simtion, but the real La Luoshan turned out to be even taller than in the dream simtion.


    "Interesting..."


    Recalling the early end of the workday, Gu Yi sensed something unusual and quickly closed his eyes.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You walk along the base of the wall, and Da Luoshan''s bodyguard res at you.)


    (Bodyguard: Get lost.)


    (The bodyguards are very alert; once you get closer than ten meters, theye forward to drive you away.)


    (Da Luoshan doesn''t even nce at you; he stands by the car resting for a moment, then walks into the house and chats with the supervisor alone.)


    (The supervisor''s rank is clearly not as high as Da Luoshan''s, always nodding and bowing like a servile dog)


    (The bodyguardes up and pushes you away.)


    (You are too far away to see Da Luoshan anymore.)


    (You take a detour, climb up to the wall base, the huge helmet making you somewhat conspicuous.)


    (Just as you climb to the top of the wall, the bodyguard spots you.)


    (They shout loudly and call the nearby police robots.)


    (You are caught by the robots.)


    (You cannot break free.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    "Hmm..."


    Gu Yi furrowed his brows.


    These bodyguards were watching too closely; I really couldn''t handle them on my own.


    If I use my skill to hypnotize them, it would only take three minutes before the nearby police robots detected me, and then I would still be unable to eavesdrop.


    I should try another method.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You hide in the space jump station in advance.)


    (The supervisor sees you, curses, and kicks you out.)


    (Da Luoshan happens toe in; he nces at you and ps your face.)


    (You feel dizzy.)


    (When you wake up again, you find yourself lying in the casino, with a doctor treating you.)


    (You terminate the deduction.)


    As expected, Da Luoshan''sbat power wasn''t reduced; just a light p from him could knock him unconscious.


    The supervisor was always waiting by the door; if he so much as showed his head a little, he would be spotted by the supervisor.


    Was there any way to sneak in under the eyes of so many people?


    Gu Yi touched his nose and began to strategize again.


    (The deduction begins!)


    (You crouch by the door, listening to the supervisor''s footsteps; he is about four meters from the door.)


    (There is a fish tank in the middle of the hall. If you can fall behind the fish tank within one second, you can hide in the supervisor''s blind spot, thus sneakily avoiding him unnoticed.)


    (You use psychological suggestion on yourself to stimte your body''s potential.)


    (You quickly rush in.)

 Chapter 201: Eavesdropping

    <h4>Chapter 201: Eavesdropping</h4>


    (You control every muscle in your body to the limit.)


    (Yound silently like a cat behind the fish tank, steady and soundless.)


    (You hide in the Supervisor''s blind spot, slowly moving bit by bit to ensure he can''t see you.)


    (You eavesdrop on the Supervisor''s footsteps while recalling your previous deduction experience.)


    (In three seconds, Da Luoshan will arrive at the door to exchange pleasantries with the Supervisor.)


    (At that time, bodyguards will follow behind Da Luoshan, looking around, and at least two of them facing the door will definitely see you hiding behind the fish tank.)


    (You observe your surroundings again, looking for the next cover.)


    (For ease of movement, you take off the helmet on your head and hide it in the ck orb''s space, then silently counting to three, run to hide under the reception desk.)


    (You hear Da Luoshan and the Supervisor casually chatting, both are talking, so they don''t notice the slight noise you make.)


    (Supervisor: Boss, what brings you here?)


    (Da Luoshan: The presidential election is about to start, I need to strategize in advance. This isn''t the ce for discussions, let''s talk in your office.)


    (Supervisor: Yes, boss.)


    (Da Luoshan: You guys don''t need toe in, just watch the door, don''t let anyone in.)


    (Bodyguards: Yes, boss.)


    (You stealthily peek out and see the bodyguards have turned their backs, looking outside.)


    (You tiptoe behind Da Luoshan and the Supervisor.)


    (The Supervisor takes out his keys to open the office door, you quickly hide behind Da Luoshan, using his body as cover.)


    (Supervisor: I think I heard something?)


    (Da Luoshan: What sound?)


    (Supervisor: Footsteps.)


    (Da Luoshan turns around.)


    (You move ording to Da Luoshan''s turning angle, always hiding in the blind spot of Da Luoshan and the Supervisor, and while their attention is diverted, you quickly hide behind the office door.)


    (Da Luoshan: There''s no one here?)


    (Supervisor: Maybe a rat?)


    (The two did not discover you and walked straight into the room.)


    (You quickly take the helmet from the ck orb''s space and put it on your head, taking a deep breath. The foul smell at this moment is surprisingly sweet.)


    (You lean against the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.)


    (The room smells of cigarettes, with a faint scent of oranges.)


    (Da Luoshan: Set up a gathering for me tomorrow night, find some girls to apany us for drinks.)


    (Supervisor: Are you hosting someone?)


    (Da Luoshan: Constantin III, if we can win him over, everything else will be easy.)


    (Supervisor: Hearing that name, what woman would dare toe?)


    (Da Luoshan: Just say only I''ll be there, that''ll do, right?)


    (Supervisor: Alright, that''s the only way.)


    (Da Luoshan: Also, prepare more frozen berries, that bastard loves that stuff.)


    (Supervisor: Understood.)


    (Da Luoshan and the Supervisor chat for a while, then prepare to leave.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and watched as Da Luoshan entered the building. He ate thest piece of his biscuit and then headed back to the casino.


    ...


    9:30 PM.


    Gu Yi arrived at Er Gou''s storage room, took out a device from his ck orb''s space, and ced it on the ground.


    "Er Gou, are you sure you can handle this alone?"


    "Don''t worry," Er Gou said. "I''ve set up a cognitive barrier here. Without my permission, no one will discover it."


    "Oh."


    Gu Yi nodded.


    Obviously, the cognitive barrier also came from mortician''s technology. Since he owned the ck orb, the cognitive barrier didn''t affect him. Even if Er Gou wasn''t around, he could still easily find his workshop.


    "By the way, I wanted to ask you something."


    "Go ahead."


    "Who is Constantine III?"


    "The son of god," Er Gou replied without looking up. "This guy is a super pervert."


    "What kind of pervert?"


    "He''s a sadist who particrly likes women withrge breasts. His favorite thing is to strangle women to death and then cut off their tongues as souvenirs. However, he''s also very generous with his money, so the owners of various nightclubs really like himing to their ces to spend."


    "Constantine III ising here tomorrow."


    Er Gou suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked at Gu Yi with surprise.


    "Are you serious?"


    "You''re worried about your daughter, aren''t you?"


    "Damn..."


    Er Gou pped his head in frustration.


    Gu Yi gently patted Er Gou''s shoulder and said calmly, "Don''t worry, I can help you."


    "You have no idea..."


    "Don''t worry, wait for me tonight. I''lle back and we can discuss what to do."


    ...


    Gu Yi reported to the police station on time.


    At 10 p.m, the phone at the police station rang. He walked over and picked it up.


    <i>Sssss</i>


    A burst of static noise sounded in Gu Yi''s ears, and he opened his eyes to find himself once again in Kanon''s hive mind space.


    "Mr. Gu, I seeded," Kanon was the first to speak. "I managed to escape Er Gou''s surveince and joined Xiao Xue''s nightclub. She said tomorrow I need to serve a first-ss citizen named Da Luoshan. Do you have any information?"


    "Da Luoshan is the mine owner. His main job is mining and producing dream fragments. The mine where we work belongs to his assets.


    Da Luoshan is very fat; the three of us together don''t weigh as much as him.


    Don''t confront him directly, even I wouldn''t dare to assassinate him without preparation."


    Gu Yi paused for a moment, remembering hisst one-on-one battle with Da Luoshan. If it weren''t for his ability to use the power of the ck orb, he wouldn''t have stood a chance against Da Luoshanst time.


    "Also, Da Luoshan''s visit to the store isn''t his main goal; his purpose is to bribe Constantine III to achieve his goals of power by making a sex deal. Constantine III is the so-called ''son of god.''


    This guy is a psychopath who loves to kill women for fun. You must find a way to avoid serving him, and don''t let Xiao Xue meet Constantine III."


    "Is that even a thing?"


    Kanon frowned upon hearing this. She had heard of various perverse inclinations in the real world too, but she had always regarded those as urban legends.


    If she really had to entertain a psychopath, she would be the first to run away.


    "Do you have any suggestions?"


    Gu Yi frowned. His deduction talent was limited to his own dungeon progression, and he couldn''t help Kanon foresee dangers. Kanon was a woman, and her talent can only help her in gathering information. To get through the challenges, she had to rely on her own abilities.


    "I don''t have any good suggestions right now. My advice is to try to convince Xiao Xue to leave the nightclub and avoid contact with Constantine as much as possible."


    "It seems that''s the only way."


    Dennis looked at the two and quickly shared the information he had just obtained, "You two, I found the name Constantine in the library; I don''t know if this information can help you."

 Chapter 202: The Power of Words

    <h4>Chapter 202: The Power of Words</h4>


    Dennis simply recounted the rise of Constantine and the origins of the citizen hierarchy system, also mentioning a few novels that had made a deep impression on him.


    "Constantine really likes stories, so he encourages literary creation among the citizens, but I think this is just to provide lower-ss citizens with a pacifier, to encourage literary creation.


    The novels hardly ever have temtes of ordinary people turning the tables; they mostly degrade lower-ss citizens to highlight the upper-ss ones.


    Lower-ss citizens are always portrayed as ignorant and foolish, while upper-ss citizens are always foresighted.


    The protagonists are usually ruthless, vengeful, and selfish."


    Gu Yi stroked his chin and said:


    "Its a cunning tactic.


    Over time, lower-ss citizens brainwashed by these stories will forget to resist. Instead, they will empathize with their exploiters and dream that one day they too could be exploiters.


    They will forget that they are the real providers and contributors, while the upper-ss citizens are parasitic, living off their efforts. These upper-ss citizens didnt achieve their status through effort but through lineage.


    They wille to see themselves as ignorant, believe it''s justified for the upper-ss to exploit them, and think that hedonism is the ultimate escape. They will always be just a backdrop to the upper-ss."


    Gu Yi helplessly rubbed the bridge of his nose.


    Kanon frowned upon hearing Gu Yis analysis.


    Wasnt her own sess also due to her family''s fame?


    If she didn''t have a good father, even if she slept with every director in Sakura Country, she couldnt be a star. No, more likely, a director wouldnt even spare her a nce, and even sharing a drink with extras would be difficult.


    Dennis nced at Kanon and continued:


    "Oh, there''s one more important thing. I found a handwritten note in the suggestion notebook, it said<i>''Believe in the power of words.''</i> I dont know if this phrase is useful or if its a hint for the dungeon?"


    "Handwritten?"


    Gu Yi thought for a moment and took out a pen and paper to write it down.


    Dennis leaned in and said curiously, "Huh? How can you write it so simrly? The handwriting is identical."


    "In thest dungeon, there were some handwritten notes, all left by the morticians. The handwriting was very distinctive, so I specifically practiced mimicking it.


    That being said,<i> ''Believe in the power of words'' </i>must also be left by the morticians, so we canpletely trust it. Now, we should think about what this sentence is really hinting at."


    Kanon raised her hand to share her opinion.


    "Mr. Gu, I think this is hinting at ''His'' brainwashing tactics, right? The citizen system is just a small shackle, the real weapon is actually those mysterious stories.


    I think your earlier judgment about the stories was very urate; those pacifying novels have eroded the lower-ss citizens'' desire to resist, making them willingly endure the abuse of the upper ss."


    "So, should we burn down the library?" Dennis raised an eyebrow, jokingly asking.


    "Burning down the library is just a temporary solution. If we get caught, we will be sentenced to thousands of years of imprisonment. Such actions are more symbolic than practical.


    I think the real meaning of this hint is... to fight magic with magic."


    The other two exchanged a nce, clearly not understanding Gu Yi''s point.


    Pacing back and forth, Gu Yi exined:


    "Words have power. If ''He'' can use words to control the minds of the lower-ss people, why can''t we use words to awaken them?"


    "You mean..."


    "We can alsopile our own novels," Gu Yi smiled. "Since Constantine loves stories so much, we''ll use stories to defeat him."


    Dennis shook his head, feeling that the strategy was not that simple, "This strategy seems a bit unreliable. How powerful can one story be? How can it possibly shake the rules of the world?"


    "Don''t forget, this is a weird world. Even in the real world, the impact of a good story is limitless. Authors may die, but stories never do.


    Words are powerful.


    This is a very clear hintif we can get the right story circted, then defeating the unspeakable will be much easier."


    Dennis was still pondering the validity of Gu Yi''s theory, while Kanon was already asking about specifics.


    "So, what exactly does the right story entail?"


    "Firstly, the protagonist must be an ordinary person. Secondly, the story must promote positive themes like freedom, resistance, and love, definitely not scheming, ruling, or violence. Even if it must include violence, it should be about ordinary people resisting the elite, robbing the rich to help the poor, and uniting in the pursuit of freedom."


    Gu Yi exined as he paced.


    "For example... Titanic."


    "A good choice."


    Dennis nodded in agreement.


    In "Titanic," the male lead is a poor boy, resonating with the persona of an ordinary person. The female lead, set to marry into a wealthy family, gives up her luxurious life to pursue love and freedom.


    Although the ending is tragic, the story still resonates deeply.


    "Are you nning to make a movie? Only second-ss citizens have ess to that kind of art."


    "Who would bother with the thankless task of making movies? Its better to adapt it into a novel."


    "Who will publish it?" Dennis asked looking at them both. "I remember there are specific rules in series b; only second-level citizens can legally publish novels. Honestly, I can''t write novels, can you, Kanon?"


    Kanon touched her cheek and shook her head with a smile.


    Gu Yi looked at the two and shrugged, "Then I''ll handle the publishing."


    "Mr. Gu, didnt you say you didnt want to level up? How will you publish?"


    "It has to be published under the identity of a first-ss citizen," Gu Yi stated. "But in this dungeon, identity is very important. If we use the identity of a high-ss citizen to publish, it would be meaningless. Er Gou has the ability to shield against rules, once I learn it, I''ll find a way to publish as soon as possible. Leave this task to me."


    Kanon and Dennis nodded.


    Gu Yi had taken on the most difficult part of the task for himself, and all they needed to do was follow his lead.<i> Who wouldn''t be grateful to have such a teammate?</i>


    "As for the next steps for you two... Kanon, just do as I said before, try to avoid Constantine III, protect Xiao Xue from harm, and avoid any kind of fierce conflict with those plot characters."


    "Understood."


    "Dennis, your task will be more dangerous, and theres a real risk of death. You can choose to do it, or not."


    "I''m not afraid of dying." Dennis nodded earnestly. "In the weird world, the more afraid of death one is, the quicker they die. I choose to face death."

 Chapter 203: Creating Rules (1)

    <h4>Chapter 203: Creating Rules (1)</h4>


    "Right now, you have the best opportunity to capture Er Gou. Even if you can''t catch him, at least you''ll earn a great merit."


    "Are you asking me to use Xiao Xue as bait?"


    "Exactly." Gu Yi nodded and said, "You canpletely leak the news to Er Gou that Constantine III ising."


    "It might not work. Da Luoshan inviting Constantine for drinks is obviously a power for sex transaction. What if the police find out? What if Da Luoshan mes me and tries to catch me?"


    Gu Yi fell silent, but Kanon immediately picked up the conversation.


    "Don''t think about Da Luoshan and Constantine with the mindset of a low-level citizen. As high-level citizens, they have immunity. Even if they break thew, they only need to pay the sentence.


    Even if they are sentenced to ten million years, at most, they can make up for that ten million years in just one day.


    They don''t care about the police or the rules. What they care about is their reputation and their safety.


    Think about it, if Er Gou finds out about the news himself and sessfully assassinates Constantine while lurking at the nightclub, how much me will the local security officials take?


    You''re actually just helping them."


    Upon hearing this, Gu Yi''s eyes brightened, and he continued to add:


    "Kanon is right, but not entirely.


    Given Er Gou''s ability, he is very likely to investigate Constantine''s movements on his own. Even if he doesn''t, he might notice something unusual while staking out the red-light district daily.


    But if you take the initiative to inform Er Gou about this, and at the same time inform the police to ambush him, then the credit for capturing Er Gou will go to you.


    However, this will also make you a whistleblower.


    This power for sex transaction is not something that can be openly discussed. Although it''s an open secret, if you blow this thing up, it will ultimately be disgraceful. If Constantine and Da Luoshan want to hold someone ountable, the police will definitely push you out.


    This is a danger, but also an opportunity."


    "Constantine and Da Luoshan will either greatly promote you or kill you out of anger and humiliation. How it turns out depends entirely on your performance.


    If you can ensure Constantine''s safety while sessfully capturing Er Gou, you''ll undoubtedly be the first adventurer to be promoted to a second-ss citizen."


    "That makes sense."


    Dennis nodded, feeling that this n was feasible and even more reliable than Gu Yi''s n to write novels to change public opinion.


    The three continued to discuss some details until time ran out.


    ...


    <i>Sizzle¡ª¡ª</i>


    Gu Yi opened his eyes and was back at the police station.


    The police were already used to Gu Yi ying with the telephone. The phone had clearly been blocked from receiving signals, but Gu Yi still picked up the receiver and yed with it like a fool every time.


    Gu Yi left the police station and returned to the casino. He didn''t see Er Gou anywhere, but he finally found him in the workshop basement.


    Er Gou was carefully polishing his dagger, his eyes burning with a ferocity that seemed capable of devouring people.


    "You''re back?"


    "Yeah."


    "Are you sure the source of that information is reliable?"


    "Absolutely reliable," Gu Yi nodded. "I can guarantee it with my life."


    "Unfortunately, Xiao Xue doesn''t believe me at all. She will definitely think it''s an excuse I''m using to deceive her."


    Hearing this, Gu Yi rolled his eyes helplessly.


    This father and daughter were truly at odds from head to toe. The daughter didn''t listen to her father, and the father had no authority in front of his daughter, yet the daughter still chose to be a hostess.


    If Gu Yi were in Er Gou''s position, he might be even more troubled.


    "So, what do you want to do?"


    "Kill Constantine," Er Gou said fiercely. "With your help, I don''t have to worry as much. No one from Wapeng High School is a waste."


    "Brother, what good would killing him do?"


    "At least I can protect my daughter."


    "And what about you?"


    "I can escape. I can even teach you the techniques for escaping right now."


    "And your daughter?" Gu Yi raised an eyebrow. "Sure, killing Constantine might feel great, but what about your daughter? You can evade the rules and disappear in a blink, but can your daughter escape with you? Did she graduate from Wapeng too?"


    Er Gou fell silent.


    Gu Yi shook his head helplessly. When it came to his daughter, this man, usually so cautious and even a bit cunning, immediately became hotheaded.


    Once, Chen Zeyu''s parents could sacrifice their lives for him.


    Now, Er Gou was willing to give up everything for his daughter.


    In a way, it was rather ironic.


    "Why don''t you persuade Xiao Xue to leave?"


    "Didn''t I say? She won''t listen to me."


    "You could knock her out and bring her back," Gu Yi raised an eyebrow. "If you can''t do it, I can do it for you."


    Er Gou thought for a while, then turned to Gu Yi, "You''re right. That might be the simplest method. But the nightclub isn''t under my control. Getting someone out of there won''t be easy."


    "You can''t do it, but that doesn''t mean I can''t. Just tell me how to block the robots'' sensors so I can ignore the rules."


    "Come with me."


    Er Gou led Gu Yi to the workshop, where the mysterious device was ced on the floor.


    "Pull the ring."


    "It won''t electrocute me, will it?"


    "Don''t worry, I''m here."


    Er Gou, holding the device, said, "Actually, what''s written on this device doesn''t exin its essence. Its name is the Rule Creator, and its true function is to create a rule."


    "What do you mean?"


    "For example, I created a rule that in my territory, from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., all Wapeng''s rules are invalid, but at the same time, I can never have freedom, love, or family.


    The more powerful the rule, the more restrictions there are."


    "If your goal is merely to bypass rule c-034, then your limitations will be much less severe. However, what those specific limitations are, I don''t know. It depends on you."


    Rule c-034: It is forbidden to use any kind of weird power in any location.


    In a previous deduction, Gu Yi was sentenced to ten thousand years for viting c-034.


    Er Gou gained absolute freedom within a fixed range and time, but he lost the chance to be a high-level citizen, his wife died, and his daughter grew estranged. Hisplete loss of rationality when it came to his daughter was evidently influenced by the rule.


    Thinking of how the "deceased" Chen Zeyu decisively abandoned his parents, Gu Yi suddenly felt that Er Gou''s current situation was understandable.


    "What should I do?"


    "Hold the ring and silently state your request in your mind."


    "Alright."


    Gu Yi reached out and grasped the ring, and an electric current wrapped around his forearm. However, he couldn''t let go, as the ring''s immense suction held him firmly.


    "Don''t worry, this is normal."


    As Er Gou spoke, he broke open a wooden crate and tossed arge amount of t-091 ore into the feeding port.


    The current gradually stabilized. Though it looked intimidating, Gu Yi was unharmed. He closed his eyes, attempting to use his talent, but he saw nothing but emptiness.


    "Please state your rule."


    A mechanical voice echoed in Gu Yi''s mind.


    Seeing this, Gu Yi silently repeated in his mind, "Let me ignore rule c-034."

 Chapter 204: Creating Rules (2)

    <h4>Chapter 204: Creating Rules (2)</h4>


    <i>"Rule generation in progress..."</i>


    <i>"You must choose one of the following three restrictions as your limiting condition."</i>


    <i>"1. Prohibited from having both feet off the ground simultaneously."</i>


    <i>"2. Prohibited from physical contact with the opposite sex."</i>


    <i>"3. Prohibited from using modern technological products."</i>


    "What the hell?"


    Hearing these three options, Gu Yi''s face turned pale.


    Each restriction was more perverse than thest.


    Option one meant he couldn''t run or jump, and even when sleeping, he would have to sit in a chair with his feet always touching the ground.


    Option two meant he couldn''t help Xiao Xue or interact with Kanon, and he would have to avoid any encounters with women.


    Option three was even more extreme; phones, breathing helmets, and even houses here were all modern technological products. To avoid breaking the rule, would he have to live in a thatched hut and hunt birds with a slingshot?


    After some thought, Gu Yi decided that option one had the least severe side effects.


    The power of psychological suggestion in this dungeon was incredibly strong, as there were almost no individuals with strong mental resilience in this world.


    If he could publish the novel as nned and use psychological suggestion to gradually brainwash those around him, nting the seeds of resistance in their minds, then when the time came, with a single call, "His" rule would copse without a fight.


    "I choose one."


    <i>"Rule generationplete."</i>


    Gu Yi felt a shiver run through his body and looked at Er Gou.


    To test his ability, he secretly used psychological suggestion on Er Gou, telling him to open the window in a moment.


    "How do you feel?"


    "Not bad."


    "What is the limiting rule?"


    "Can''t have both feet off the ground simultaneously."


    "Huh? So you can''t run or jump?"


    "And I have to figure out a way to keep my feet on the ground even when I sleep."


    "Ugh... that''s tough."


    Er Gou shook his head and turned to open the window.


    Gu Yi grinned and leisurely asked, "Why are you opening the window?"


    "I feel hot." Er Gou paused, turning to look at Gu Yi, "Did you just do something to me?"


    "Sorry, I just wanted to test if my ability worked well." Gu Yi shrugged. "Turns out, you can''t always stay alert. Once you let your guard down, I can easily use psychological suggestion on you."


    "Alright, just don''t do it again. No more psychological suggestions on me in the future."


    "It''ste, let''s go rest."


    The two bid each other goodnight.


    Gu Yi returned to his room, tied his feet to prevent them from leaving the ground, and then sat at his desk to write. Until midnight, when he was too tired to continue, he slumped over the desk to sleep.


    Before closing his eyes, he didn''t forget to use a psychological suggestion on himself to keep his feet still.


    ...


    In the real world.


    As Xi Wang had predicted, the strategy team didn''t wait a full week before they all retreated to work in the ai raid shelters.


    Domestically, they not only had to deal with the invading weird creatures but also had to guard against the surrounding armies eyeing them covetously.


    The war had already reached the borders of the Dragon Country. The residents there could see tanks parading just beyond the national border every day. On this side of the border,rge numbers of troops were gathering, making it seem like a battle could break out at any moment.


    A civil war had already broken out in the Lighthouse Country, and due to the ongoing conflict, the Dragon Country''s strategy team that had gone to support them was unable to return.


    For now, both warring sides were maintaining basic restraint and had not harmed the members of the strategy team, but no one knew what terrible things might happen if the war continued to escte.


    "Haaa..."


    Xi Wang sighed deeply, her brows furrowed. Having grown up in a peaceful country, her understanding of war was limited to what she had read in books.


    Now that war was closing in, she realized that the most terrifying thing in the world was not weird powers, but the evil and greed inherent in human nature.


    "What are you daydreaming about?"


    "Uh, Team Leader, I was just lost in thought."


    Qu Kangping walked over and gently patted Xi Wang on the shoulder. "Are you scared?"


    "Scared? Not exactly. I just really hate that feeling of things being out of control. It''s only been three or four days, and the whole world has turned into a massive battlefield.


    More people have died from the war in these three or four days than from being killed by weird creatures.


    Sometimes, I even think that these people didn¡¯t start the war because of the influence of weird powers, but because their hearts were already full of violence, and the weird power was just the spark thatnded on a powder keg.


    You see, I gambled right on everything this time.


    I said that this weird world reflects the whole of human society, and we can''t make any changes in the real world."


    Qu Kangping said nothing.


    Since Ah Jian''s death, he had paid particr attention to the mental states of his subordinates.


    Clearly, Xi Wang, this tomboy, was already showing some psychological issues.


    ¡°Xi Wang, you really like gambling, don¡¯t you?¡±


    "Uh... Team Leader, I really haven''t been gambling."


    "Heh, I''m not ming you. I just want to ask you a question. Why do you think Gu Yi has been able to clear the dungeons three times in a row?"


    "Because he has a powerful talent?"


    "Wrong. It''s because he always believes in the bright side of human nature.


    Faith is the strongest weapon against the weird power.


    In the weird world, darkness prevails, but Gu Yi can still find that bit of light in the midst of it. He hasn''t given up, so why are you wallowing in self-pity?"


    Xi Wang smiled nomittally, "Alright, Team Leader. I was just venting. Let''s get to work."


    ...


    The next morning.


    Gu Yi got up from his desk, rubbing his shoulders. Sleeping hunched over all night left him feeling sore all over.


    He stretched a bit and immediately went to work in the mine.


    To have time to ck off, Gu Yi used his skill on the supervisor, making him order Gu Yi to work in the office.


    This way, he could legitimately use the supervisor''s office to write his novel.


    At his current pace, he would be able to publish his novel by tomorrow morning.


    The workday ended.


    Gu Yi checked the time. ording to the information Kanon provided, Xiao Xue went to bathe every evening at 6 p.m. This was the perfect opportunity to catch her.


    He left his workstation early and waited at the entrance of the women''s bathhouse.


    Right on schedule, Xiao Xue arrived. Gu Yi quickly stepped forward and grabbed her.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Come with me."


    Gu Yi blinked and used psychological suggestion on Xiao Xue.


    Xiao Xue showed a strange expression but still inexplicably followed Gu Yi to the casino.


    After sitting down, Xiao Xue suddenly snapped out of it and started making a fuss, refusing to stay.


    "You kidnapper! Let me go, or I''ll call the police."


    "I''m doing this for your own good," Gu Yi said coldly. "Constantine ising to your nightclub tonight. If you go, there''s a high chance you''ll die."


    "Even if I die, it''s none of your business!"


    Gu Yi used psychological suggestion on Xiao Xue again, finally calming her down. But less than ten minutester, she started acting up again.


    "Let me out, ah¡ª¡ª"


    "Ah, enough of your screaming!"


    Gu Yi struck the back of Xiao Xue''s neck with his palm.


    Xiao Xue rolled her eyes and passed out.


    Er Gou stood silently behind the door. Even though he knew Gu Yi was doing all this for his sake, he still felt heartbroken.


    "She''ll be alright, won''t she?"


    "Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing," Gu Yi said, rubbing his palm. "She''ll sleep until at least tomorrow morning."

 Chapter 205: Confrontation with the Maniac (1)

    <h4>Chapter 205: Confrontation with the Maniac (1)</h4>


    In the evening.


    Inside the nightclub.


    "I''ve been looking for you all day." Kanon pulled Xiao Xue towards the lounge. "Come with me quickly."


    "What''s going on? Why all the secrecy?"


    "We''re taking the night off. We''re not working tonight."


    "Why?"


    "Constantine ising."


    "You mean... that pervert Constantine?"


    "That''s right."


    Hearing this, Xiao Xue covered her mouth in shock, unable to speak. "How do you know?"


    "Don''t worry about how I know. I can only tell you that this information is 100% reliable. If you don''t want to die, we must find a way to leave the nightclub."


    "Then... let''s go quickly."


    Xiao Xue wanted to ask the boss for leave, but Kanon suddenly stopped her.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Asking the boss for leave."


    "Forget about him." Kanon suddenly remembered something. "What if he sees your big bre@st and refuses to let you go? You know Constantine loves big bre@st, right?"


    "But..."


    "What''s there to hesitate about? Your life is the most important thing. Let''s just skip work and leave."


    "You''re right."


    Xiao Xue nodded and quickly took Kanon''s hand as they headed towards the exit.


    As they reached the door, they found the boss blocking their way. He looked at the two of them and said sternly, "Where are you going?"


    "She''s on her period," Kanon pointed at Xiao Xue, "so she can''t take clients today."


    The boss pushed them aside. "Not taking clients is fine, but serving drinks won''t hurt."


    "She''s got a stomach ache, and I need to treat her."


    "Treat my foot."


    The boss pped Kanon across the face, leaving a bright red handprint on her cheek.


    "Do you know who the boss is here? Even if she''s about to die, she can''t leave my club without my permission."


    Kanon''s eyes filled with tears, and she stared at her shoes, too afraid to speak.


    Xiao Xue, trembling, hid behind Kanon, equally afraid to anger the boss.


    Though the boss usually spoke politely, when truly provoked, he could be deadly.


    "Call all the hostesses here."


    "Yes."


    The subordinates gathered all the girls in the hall. As they worked nights and slept during the day, most of them were still sleepy-eyed.


    Seeing the boss''s serious expression, those who were still drowsy woke up halfway.


    "Tonight, we have a very important guest. This guest especially likes well-endowed women and is very generous. You''re all in for a treat."


    Hearing the boss''s words, many of the girls perked up, pressing their arms together to deepen their cleavage.


    Knowing the inside story, Kanon and Xiao Xue hunched their shoulders and avoided eye contact with the boss.


    "You, you, and you."


    The boss walked around, pointing out each girl.


    The well-endowed girls were especially favored, while the smaller-chested ones sighed in disappointment.


    When the boss reached Xiao Xue, he lifted her chin. "Stand up straight."


    "Boss..."


    "I don''t want to hit your face," the boss said. "I rely on that face of yours for business. You''re serving drinks tonight too."


    Xiao Xue''s heart felt like it had jumped into her throat.


    The boss walked up to Kanon. The red handprint on her face had subsided somewhat, but faint traces were still visible.


    "I hear you''re good with makeup?"


    Kanon stayed silent.


    The boss grabbed her chin, coldly saying, "You''ll be serving drinks tonight too. Help everyone get dress up properly. If anything goes wrong, I''ll throw you in the river to feed the fish tomorrow. Understand?"


    "Yes, boss."


    Kanon nodded bitterly.


    Once inside this cage, there was no chance of escape. To the boss, they were justmodities,mbs awaiting ughter.


    All the girls sat in the lounge, meticulously applying their makeup.


    Xiao Xue was preupied, looking distracted. Kanon wanted to warn the others about Constantine''s impending visit but feared the boss too much to speak.


    If she disclosed this information prematurely, it would cause panic and chaos among the girls. The boss would likely use her and Xiao Xue as examples to instill fear.


    The idea of defeating the boss and his men with just a few women was nothing short of a pipe dream.


    Time ticked by, and before long, it was evening.


    Kanon nced at the clock. It was 9 PM.


    If anything went wrong tonight, she would lose her life, and Gu Yi and Dennis would lose their obvious support, plunging them into a dire situation as well.


    "What should I do?"


    Kanon sat in her seat, constantly brainstorming for a solution. However, the closer it got to the time, the nker her mind became. She had no idea what to do.


    Xiao Xue, seated beside her, gently held Kanon''s right hand.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Kanon, I''vee to terms with it," Xiao Xue said. "We''re just going to die anyway. In this world, low-level citizens never had freedom. I thought bing a hostess would let me live in peace, that I could just take some medicine when I got sick and be fine, but I never imagined I''d face the threat of death one day."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll find a way."


    "Heh... sometimes I think it would''ve been better if you hadn''t told me about this. Dying cluelessly wouldn''t be so bad, just like my mother."


    "Huuu..."


    Kanon took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.


    The boss pushed open the door to the lounge and beckoned the girls, "Come with me, the guest has arrived."


    The girls lined up and followed him to the private room.


    On the sofa sat two men.


    One was veryrge, taking up three sofas, with his belly fat hanging down like a skirt made of flesh.


    No need to say more; this was Da Luoshan, as Gu Yi had mentioned.


    The other man was dressed in a suit and tie, with a well-proportioned build and elegant manners. Unfortunately, he wore a white mask, obscuring his face.


    Again, no need to say more; this was the notorious pervert, Constantine III.


    Kanon and Xiao Xue nced at the masked man and instinctively lowered their heads.


    The boss approached the young man and asked softly, "Sir, would you like to pick a girl?"


    "One?"


    The boss hesitated, "Two or three is also fine."


    "Two or three?"


    "However many you''d like."


    Constantine stroked his chin, smiling, "All of them."


    The girls exchanged nces, never having seen such a generous guest.


    The boss beamed and nodded vigorously.


    Constantine ced a hand on the boss''s shoulder and whispered, "I''ll give you three years of tax exemption, and reduce your personal sentence by a million years. Now, go outside and guard the door. I don''t like being disturbed while I''m drinking. Understand?"


    "Thank you, sir," the boss replied with a smile. "I hope you have a good time."

 Chapter 206: Confrontation with the Maniac (2)

    <h4>Chapter 206: Confrontation with the Maniac (2)</h4>


    The boss stepped out, thoughtfully locking the door behind him.


    The girls, still unaware of what awaited them, wore sweet smiles.


    "Hello, sirs."


    They bowed in unison, well-trained.


    Constantine chuckled, pointing at the group of girls, "Brother, why don''t you pick first?"


    "You''re the guest; you should go first."


    "Alright."


    Constantine nodded and casually pointed at two girls.


    "You and you,e pour me a drink."


    "Yes, sir."


    The two girls sat beside Constantine, enthusiastically pouring drinks for him.


    Xiao Xue and Kanon sighed. <i>Had we just dodged a bullet?</i>


    Da Luoshan leaned back on the sofa, scanning the faces of all the girls.


    "Youe here."


    "Me?" Kanon pointed to her own nose.


    "Yes, you."


    Da Luoshan beckoned, patting the cushion next to him.


    Kanon nodded and sat down beside Da Luoshan.


    Da Luoshan''s body reeked of sweat, but Kanon maintained a smile, careful not to show any difort.


    "I think I''ve seen you somewhere before," Da Luoshan said. "If I remember correctly, you work at my mine?"


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "Heh, would you like to work for me?"


    "Brother, you tter me too much."


    Kanon smiled faintly, knowing that what men say in bed and at the drinking table can''t be trusted.


    Seeing this, Xiao Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped forward and asked softly, "Sir, should we stay here or...?"


    "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Constantine said. "All of you will stay here. You, dance for me. You, sing. And you,e and drink with Mr. Da Luoshan."


    "Yes, sir."


    Constantine assigned tasks to all the girls.


    Xiao Xue bit her lip and walked over to the stage to prepare for her song.


    Suddenly, she heard a tinklingugh. Constantine had begun to grope one of the girls next to him.


    "Sir, sir, not here, it tickles..."


    The girl giggled while gently pushing Constantine away.


    "What are you doing? Isn''t this your job?"


    "There are so many people here."


    "Oh, you''re shy?"


    "Oh,e on."


    "Hey, then feed me the drink."


    The girl brought the ss to Constantine''s lips, but he shook his head. "Feed me with your mouth."


    "Alright."


    The girl straddled Constantine, took a sip of wine, and removed his mask.


    Underneath the mask was a handsome face with a chiseled jawline that added a touch of authority. He wore an exaggerated smile, as if his mouth was holding up a coat hanger.


    <i>tter¡ª</i>


    The girl''s ss dropped to the floor.


    All the surrounding girls turned pale, covering their mouths as they backed away from the sofa.


    "Son...Son of God!"


    The girl quickly jumped off Constantine and knelt on the floor, trembling.


    "Well... I still prefer you call me ''Sir''," Constantine said with a smile. "Or ''husband'' works too."


    "Sir... Sir please spare me..."


    Constantine gently caressed the woman''s slender neck, then spread his fingers and tightened his grip around it.


    The woman''s face gradually turned pale, unable to make a sound. She instinctively wed at Constantine''s grip.


    "Don''t..."


    "What are you saying? I can''t hear you."


    Constantine pulled her closer to his ear, listening to her desperate pleas.


    "Don''t... don''t kill me."


    "Why would I kill you? I''m just ying a game with you."


    Constantine pulled a red rope from his pocket and tied it around her neck.


    The woman finally had a brief moment to catch her breath.


    Constantine threw the rope towards the ceiling. It looped over a beam and obediently returned to his hand.


    "Come, let me teach you a new game."


    <i>Swish!</i>


    Constantine yanked the rope, and the woman was hoisted into the air, her feet dangling. She iled her legs and her tongue hung out. The other hostesses covered their mouths and noses, catching a whiff of urine.


    <i>-That woman had lost control of her dder.</i>


    <i>Thud!</i>


    Constantine let go of the rope, and she fell back to the ground, gasping for breath, too weak to cry.


    "Hahaha... look at you now, like a dead fish, hahaha..."


    Da Luoshan squinted his eyes and smirked, seemingly enjoying the show.


    Kanon quickly lowered her head, unable to bear watching and too scared to speak.


    To think such a scum, who tortured women for fun, was respectfully called "Son of God" by people?


    "Interesting."


    Constantine propped his foot on the coffee table and twirled his finger in the air. The rope end tied itself around his ankle. Leaning back on the sofa, he tugged his foot, tightening the rope.


    The woman was hoisted up again, but this time she waspletely motionless.


    "Hm? Already dead?"


    Constantine frowned and looked at the other girls.


    All the girls instinctively fell to their knees, their legs giving way. Some who were close to the door managed to push it open, only to find a wall of henchmen standing outside.


    "Entertain the guest properly!"


    The henchmen red at the girls, coldly shoving them back inside.


    Constantine, seeing the terror on their faces,ughed even harder. He patted the thigh of the girl next to him and lifted the rope in his hand.


    "Come, why don''t you give it a try? Let me tell you, the moment right before you suffocate is incredibly exhrating, like ascending to heaven."


    "Sir, please spare me. I''m only twenty, I''m still young."


    "Exactly, that''s why you should have more fun!"


    "Ugh¡ª"


    Without another word, Constantine looped the rope around the girl''s neck. The other end of the rope flew out, dancing above the girls'' heads until it settled around Xiao Xue''s neck.


    Xiao Xue turned pale, and before she could plead for mercy, the rope tightened around her neck.


    <i>Whish!</i>


    The rope suddenly shortened, pulling the two girls into the center of the room. The middle of the rope hung over the beam.


    If Xiao Xue''s feet touched the ground, the other girl would be lifted, and vice versa. They were like a human seesaw, controlled by Constantine, one going up as the other came down.


    "Stop!"


    A voice interrupted Constantine.


    He turned to see Kanon staring directly at him.


    "What is it?"


    "Do you really find this amusing?"


    "Heh... don''t you?"


    "I don''t. Not even a little."


    Kanon''s heart was pounding, but her face showed no sign of fear.


    Constantine was clearly a sadist, keeping all the girls here to eventually torture and kill them. If she didn''t stand up now, there would be no escape.


    "Do you know where thest woman who talked to me like this is?" Constantine pointed to the floor. "Her ashes were turned into bricks and used to build my staircase. Now that I''m building a new house, your ashes will make the perfect floor tiles."

 Chapter 207: Confrontation with the Maniac (3)

    Constantine''s eyes seemed capable of devouring people, and his mouth, which stretched as if holding up a coat hanger, made Kanon feel as though she had fallen into an ice cave.


    Whether she faced him head-on or tried to avoid him, the oue might be the same.


    So instead of sitting around waiting for death, it was better to rise up and fight back.


    "Since you''ve interrupted my entertainment, let''s have you amuse me now!"


    The rope loosened from Xiao Xue and then coiled around Kanon''s neck like a venomous snake.


    The surrounding girls let out piercing screams.


    Kanon waspletely out of ce with her surroundings. She remained calm, never showing a trace of fear.


    Constantine felt his authority being challenged. He put away his smile and slowly tightened the rope.


    Seeing this, Kanon not only didn''t look afraid but actually seemed more at ease.


    Constantine enjoyed seeing the terrified expressions of women facing death. If she remained calm, it would humiliate him.


    This was undoubtedly a risky move.


    No one knew if humiliation would make Constantine fly into a rage or be more interested in Kanon.


    However, Kanon had no other choice.


    Run, she couldn''t escape.


    Fight, she couldn''t win.


    She could only take a gamble!


    Kanon''s face gradually turned pale, but she still wore a smile. With all her strength, she forced out a sentence through clenched teeth, "If you kill me, you''ll be missing out on a lot of fun."


    Constantine stared into Kanon''s eyes.


    In those eyes, there was pity, even disdain.


    It was as if Kanon were a high-ss citizen savoring a top-grade, fresh steak, while he was a lowly wretch sipping rotten offal soup.


    Suddenly, Kanon felt the rope around her neck loosen. Her heart was still pounding, and even her fingers were trembling uncontrobly. She ced her hands behind her back, and raised her head, still maintaining her elegant posture.


    "Fun?" Constantineughed. "How much fun can you give me?"


    Kanon was silent for a moment, then suddenly she remembered the hint¡ª"Words have power."


    It was said that Constantine I liked stories, so wouldn''t Constantine III be the same?


    "Joyes in many forms, like stories," Kanon said. "The love for stories is imprinted in human genes."


    ¡°That phrase sounds very familiar. My grandfather often mentioned it. I''ve heard countless stories since I was a child. I''ve read almost all the novels avable on the market, and none of them have truly brought me joy.¡±


    Constantine sneered with contempt.


    Everyone knew that his family loved listening to stories. However, because they had heard so many stories, ordinary ones no longer excited them.


    Originally, Constantine had thought Kanon might say something astonishing, but to his disappointment, it was just this.


    "My story is different from others."


    "I''ll give you just one sentence," Constantine said, raising a finger. "If your sentence doesn''t interest me, I''ll kill you immediately and use your tongue to make alcohol."


    Kanon closed her eyes, cold sweat dripping down her back.


    At this moment, she felt like the heroine from "One Thousand and One Nights," who had to tell a story to the king every night. If the story wasn''t captivating enough, she''d be beheaded the next day.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t think of anything?¡±


    "I have something." Kanon opened her eyes. "Before my master died, he gave me a secret manual. When I opened it, I found it wasn''t a manual, but an erotic picture."


    Constantine''s eyes suddenly widened, and even Da Luoshan, who never listened to stories, turned his head, curiously looking at Kanon.


    "And then?"


    "Do you want to keep listening?"


    "Go on, this seems interesting."


    "Then let all these sisters go out."


    "For each sentence you say, I''ll let one girl go, but if any sentence displeases me, I''ll kill you."


    "I''ve already said one sentence." Kanon pointed at Xiao Xue on the ground and said, "Let her go first."


    "Fine, you can go."


    Xiao Xue nodded and got up from the ground to leave.


    But she stood by the door, hesitant to leave, unsure if she was worried about Kanon or curious about the rest of the story.


    Constantine poured himself a ss of wine and smiled. "Keep going."


    Kanon took a deep breath and continued.


    "The Master died, and before he passed, he called Xiao Gua and his Eldest disciple to his bedside to distribute his inheritance.


    The Eldest disciple, that is Xiao Gua¡¯s Senior Brother, received the Master¡¯s token and inherited the sect.


    Xiao Gua, on the other hand, was given the Master¡¯s secret manual.


    Everyone knew Xiao Gua was a martial arts dunce who couldn''t even hold a sword steady, yet Master still entrusted him with the manual.


    During the mourning period for Master, Xiao Gua opened the manual, only to discover it was actually an erotic picture."


    Constantine''s eyes lit up, and he tapped the table with his fingers. "Don''t keep me in suspense. Go on."


    Kanon signaled with her eyes for the girls around her to leave, but none of them moved; they all stood rooted to the spot, unwilling to leave. Helpless, Kanon continued the story.


    "One night, the Senior Brother came to Xiao Gua''s room to inquire about the manual.


    He asked, ''Xiao Gua, can you lend me the manual? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just take a look and return it.''


    Xiao Gua shook his head and replied, ''Senior Brother, you¡¯re already married with children. What use do you have for that manual?''


    The Senior Brother nodded, realizing that the manual must be cultivated by a virgin, which was why Master didn''t leave it to him.


    The news about the manual spread quickly.


    One day, their Junior Sister came to Xiao Gua¡¯s room, also wanting to borrow the manual.


    The Junior Sister said, ''Senior Brother Xiao Gua, you¡¯re already practicing the Master¡¯s manual, right?''


    Xiao Gua nodded.


    Junior Sister said, ''Can you teach me?''


    Xiao Gua asked, ''You want to learn?''


    Junior Sister nodded vigorously.


    Xiao Gua said, ''Alright then, lie down on the bed.''


    As he spoke, Xiao Gua reached out to undo Junior Sister¡¯s clothes. She was horrified and pped Xiao Gua across the face."


    "Heheheh... interesting..."


    Constantine pped his hands in delight. This was the first time he''d heard such a dramatic story.


    However, what was even more crucial was Kanon''s storytelling rhythm, which was so captivating that it made everyone immerse themselves in the narrative.


    "I''ve already said quite a few sentences. Shouldn''t you let all the girls go now?"


    "Let them go, let them go. You can let them all go, as long as you finish the story for me."


    "Alright, I''ll continue."


    Kanon cleared her throat.


    "Because of his misconduct with Junior Sister, Xiao Gua was confined to the forbidden room in the back mountain by his Senior Brother.


    The day after Xiao Gua was confined, a letter arrived in Senior Brother''s hands.


    The letter was from the number one thief in the martial arts world, ''Drum Beetle''. He imed he had set his sights on the sect''s secret manual and would steal it that very night.


    Senior Brother immediately arranged for everyone to surround the mountain gate, not allowing even a fly to enter. He even stationed more than a dozen hidden and visible sentries near the room where Xiao Gua was confined."

 Chapter 208: Confrontation with the Maniac (4)

    <h4>Chapter 208: Confrontation with the Maniac (4)</h4>


    "Late at night, Xiao Gua got up to go to the bathroom, only to hear a sharp rustling sounding from outside the door.


    He walked out of the room and saw a masked man in ck standing on the wall.


    In the yard, all his fellow apprentices were lying on the ground, unconscious, obviously it was the work of that man in ck.


    The man in ck said, ''Are you Xiao Gua?''


    Xiao Gua had no idea what was happening and just silently nodded.


    The man in ck said, ''You have some nerve, ying tricks on me, Drum Beetle. You actually took an erotic painting as a secret manual?''


    <i>Smack!</i>


    The Drum Beetle threw the manual out, and it hit the ground near Xiao Gua''s feet.


    Hearing the name of the number one thief in the world, Xiao Gua was so scared that he didn¡¯t dare to breathe and his expression turned incredibly stiff.


    However, in the eyes of the Drum Beetle, this was Xiao Gua''s contempt and disdain for him.


    The Drum Beetle gritted his teeth and said, ''Indeed, heroes emerge from the youth. Rest assured, I, the Drum Beetle, am a man of my word. I only steal something once. I won''te to your Broken Sword Sect again."


    Saying that, he leapt away.


    Xiao Gua picked up the manual from the ground, hid it close to his body, and never dared to take it out again.


    The news that the Drum Beetle left empty-handed spread like wildfire.


    Everyone said that Broken Sword Manor had produced a peerless master.


    In truth, Xiao Gua was a good-for-nothing, the reason he even managed to trick the number one thief was all thanks to the secret manual of Broken Sword Sect. Therefore, everyone set their sights on the Broken Sword Sect.


    Hearing this news, Xiao Gua felt even more miserable; now even if he said that his manual was just an erotic picture book, no one would believe him.


    One day, Broken Sword Sect faced an unprecedented challenge.


    Experts from the neighboring Jade Dragon Sect came in masses to challenge, specifically naming Xiao Gua for a duel. However, Xiao Gua could barely hold a sword prope


    ¡­


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 Chapter 209: Ambush (1)

    <h4>Chapter 209: Ambush (1)</h4>


    "He used ck magic?"


    Dennis quickly jumped out from cover and ran toward the nightclub.


    This ambush operation couldn''t afford any mistakes.


    ording to the n, the police would begin the arrest immediately after Er Gou infiltrated the nightclub, catching him in a trap.


    Constantine and Da Luoshan had been informed in advance that only a double would be attending the nightclub today, not the real Constantine. Although Er Gou was familiar with Constantine, he couldn''t distinguish between the real and the fake without seeing Constantine''s face.


    Da Luoshan saw this as an opportunity to curry favor with the Son of God, so he volunteered to act as bait and cooperated with the police to ambush Er Gou.


    Dennis''s job was to cover the police and ensure that Er Gou saw the bait at the right time.


    However, Er Gou''s urgency was unexpected to Dennis.


    When it came to his daughter, this man would be impulsive and angry,pletely different from his usual cautious and cunning self.


    As Dennis stepped out of cover to contact the police, he suddenly felt a chill in his chest. Looking down, he saw a knife tip protruding from his chest, blood dripping out.


    "I''ve had my suspicions about you for a long time," Er Gou said. "You''re too ruthless, using my daughter as bait?"


    "Cough, cough¡ª"


    Dennis coughed up blood. Er Gou covered his mouth and dragged him to the roadside, then casually threw him into a trash bin.


    Er Gou had been suspicious ever since Dennis tipped him off. But when he saw Da Luoshan mboyantly arriving with "Constantine," Er Gou was sure it was a trap.


    Firstly, both Da Luoshan and Constantine were high-level citizens who would never go to such a low-end nightclub. Even if they did, they would do so discreetly, not so publicly.


    Secondly, no one could possibly know that Xiao Xue was his daughter. Due to the influence of the Rule Maker, no one in this world would notice that Xiao Xue was his daughter. Only those with the Mortician''s inheritance or the Son of God could break this cognitive barrier.


    The fact that Dennis knew Xiao Xue was his daughter was already suspicious. However, to be safe, Er Gou still followed Dennis.


    To his surprise, Constantine actually showed up and even cooperated with the police to set up an ambush. Dennis probably knew about Xiao Xue''s identity all along, and it must have been Constantine who told him.


    Clearly, the higher-ups wanted to take action against him.


    Er Gou took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off the dagger, staring nkly at the nightclub in front of him.


    Now, it was already a tant threat.


    <strong>¡ªIf you don''te, your daughter will die; if youe, you might die.</strong>


    Er Gou walked up to the nightclub''s entrance, where two security guards blocked him.


    "This is not a ce for a low-level citizen like you."


    "Get out of my way!"


    Er Gou pped the security guards twice and charged into the nightclub without hesitation.


    The nightclub''s thugs stepped out, one after another, and the door was heavily shut behind him. Er Gou nced around, noticing the walls adorned with intricate runes and spatial interference devices.


    It seemed the police already knew he could use the abilities of the Traveler Star people.


    Who had leaked the secret?


    He was sure he had never used this trick in front of outsiders.


    "The game is up," Er Gou said coldly. "I''m Chen Zeyu. Let my daughter go."


    <i>Thud, thud.</i>


    Da Luoshan walked over with heavy steps, apanied by Constantine''s double.


    "Heh, weren''t you already dead?"


    "But I''ve crawled back from hell."


    "In that case,e with me, or don''t me us for being ruthless."


    "Would you dare?"


    Er Gou pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Da Luoshan.


    Da Luoshan''s eyes widened, but he calmly pulled out a person from behind him¡ªEr Gou''s daughter, Xiao Xue.


    Xiao Xue stared at the dark muzzle of Er Gou''s gun with eyes full of shock.


    "Come on, shoot."


    Da Luoshan chuckled coldly.


    Undercover police officers disguised as staff members swarmed in, but Er Gou''s shots were unfailingly urate, instantly killing the two nearest officers with headshots.


    As Da Luoshan marveled at Er Gou''s shooting skills, he suddenly realized that Er Gou had already reached him.


    Er Gou''s arm passed through Da Luoshan''s arm like a ghost and snatched Xiao Xue from his grasp.


    "What the hell was that?"


    Da Luoshan cursed under his breath and lunged at Er Gou like a boulder.


    However, this move waspletely ineffective against Er Gou, who remained untouchable, still moving like a ghost.


    Bang!


    Another gunshot rang out, and everyone turned to look.


    The double''s mask shattered into pieces, revealing a bullet hole in his head.


    Er Gou saw that it was a fake and immediately realized he had killed an impostor.


    "You bastard, you tricked me?"


    Er Gou put away the pistol and shed at his wrist with a dagger.


    This time, he nearly severed his wristpletely. The nightclub had too many interference devices, so he had to sacrifice more to activate the Traveler Star''s secret technique.


    "He''s trying to escape."


    "Shoot him now!"


    "It won''t work."


    Da Luoshan finally understood the principles of Er Gou''s magic.


    At that moment, Er Gou was both in the nightclub and not in the nightclub. It was a small trick the Traveler Star people used to use. They could fold space like origami, something ordinary people couldn''t achieve.


    "Ugh¡ª"


    Xiao Xuey in Er Gou''s arms, blood trickling from her ears as she muttered incoherently.


    Er Gou''s face turned pale with fear; he knew this was a sign that Xiao Xue couldn''t withstand the pressure of spatial travel and her mental state was beginning to copse.


    "Don''t listen to the voices!" Er Gou shouted. "Daddy will definitely get you out of here! Don''t die, don''t die!"


    Er Gou lowered the efficiency of his magic output, his body gradually bing more visible.


    "Now, shoot him!"


    Seeing the change, Da Luoshan immediately ordered the police to act.


    At this point, capturing Er Gou alive was no longer an option; it was better to kill him on the spot than let him escape.


    Er Gou shielded Xiao Xue with his body.


    Not every bullet hit; only one out of twenty managed to strike Er Gou. However, the barrage was enough to cause significant damage.


    Blood spurted everywhere as Er Gou kneeled on the ground, bing a bloody mess.


    Yet, his body started to be transparent again, indicating he was about to leave.


    "Damn it, hurry up!"


    <i>St!</i>


    A dull sound echoed.


    Out of nowhere, a brick appeared behind Er Gou, smashing his head open.


    Da Luoshan stared in disbelief and saw that the figure holding the brick was none other than Dennis.


    Both Er Gou and Xiao Xue''s shadows vanished at the same time.


    When the crowd pushed open the nightclub doors, they found Er Gou and Xiao Xue covered in blood near a trash bin. Dennis was standing by the trash bin, looking as pale as a ghost.


    "Was that you just now?"


    "It was me," Dennis calmly replied. "I pinpointed Er Gou''s teleportation destination and took him out in advance."

 Chapter 210: Ambush (2)

    Chapter 210: Ambush (2)


    Er Gou slowly opened his eyes, ring at Dennis with resentment.


    <em>Who would have thought that after stabbing Dennis right through, he would still be alive?</em>


    <em>If it weren''t for taking care of my daughter, I wouldn''t have teleported such a short distance!</em>


    <em>If it weren''t for those cunning police officers!</em>


    <em>If it weren''t for Dennis''s betrayal!</em>


    <em>If it weren''t for the damn price of the Rule Maker!</em>


    <em>If it weren''t for all these reasons...</em>


    "How could I lose..." Er Gou muttered resentfully, finally closing his eyes and passing out.


    The police rushed forward, apprehending Er Gou and binding him tightly.Dennis clutched his chest and squatted down.


    "Are you alright?"


    The police station chief approached, cing a hand on Dennis''s shoulder.


    "I''m fine, really."


    Dennis nodded calmly. His zombie constitution''s defense was incredibly strong; despite severe damage to his lungs and heart, he could still move freely without being affected.


    Breathing is meaningless for a zombie, and a zombie''s heart rate is far slower than that of normal people. Even if Dennis''s heart stopped for half an hour, he could still survive.


    "Your chest was pierced," the chief remarked.


    "It''s fine," Dennis touched his wound. "Not much blood."


    The chief nced at Dennis''s wound. His blood was ckish red and flowed sluggishly, resembling thickened tomato soup, quite unlike that of ordinary people. Considering Dennis was once a modified high-level citizen, the chief wasn''t surprised.


    Dennis sat by the roadside, waiting for assistance.


    As Er Gou was being ced into the police car, a system prompt sounded in Dennis''s ear.


    <em>"Congrattions on sessfully helping the police capture Er Gou."</em>


    <em>"You yed a crucial role in the arrest."</em>


    <em>"Your storyline exploration rate has increased."</em>


    <em>"Current plot exploration rate: 13%."</em>


    <em>"Your talent [Zombie Physique] has leveled up. You can choose one reward from the following options:"</em>


    <em>"1. Your stamina doubles, but your resistance to mental contamination is halved."</em>


    <em>"2. You can recover from external injuries by consuming rotten or raw meat."</em>


    <em>"3. You can spray corpse poison at enemies, but you will constantly emit a foul odor."</em>


    Dennis sat on the roadside, pondering for a moment.


    He immediately dismissed option three. In this dungeon, charisma is an important attribute. Emitting a foul odor would hinder interactions with NPCs, making it very inconvenient. As long as he could secure a position within the police ranks and acquire weapons for self-defense, learning an offensive skill wasn''t crucial.


    Options one and two required careful consideration.


    In this world, mental contamination wasn''tmon. Doubling his stamina would enhance his durability and recovery, maximizing the benefits of his zombie physique. However, it would also amplify the weaknesses of the zombie physique. If the next dungeon focused on mental contamination, his survival capability would be greatly reduced.


    Inparison, option two had broader applicability and was more suitable for his current situation.


    "I choose the second reward."


    Dennis silently recited those words in his mind. Soon, he felt a sudden hunger in his stomach, and even his sense of smell seemed to have heightened. He nced at the blood Er Gou had spilled on the ground and licked his lips.


    Seizing a moment when no one was watching, he dipped his finger into Er Gou''s blood and tasted it.


    "Not bad, actually," he muttered to himself.


    Shortly after, an ambnce arrived.


    The doctors lifted Dennis into the ambnce. They were shocked when they saw his wound; through the gap, they could see his split heart, which had already stopped beating, yet Dennis''s eyes were still moving.


    "What the hell?"


    A doctor felt Dennis''s nose and found no breath.


    "Stop checking," Dennis pped the doctor''s hand away. "I don''t breathe."


    "What the... how are you doing this?"


    "I''m a modified human."


    "Jeez... Then why are you still a low-level citizen?"


    "It''s a long story. Can you get me some raw meat?"


    "What?"


    "Just stitch up the wound. If you get me some raw meat, I can heal myself."


    "Uh... Let''s get you to the hospital first."


    The ambnce quickly arrived at a nearby hospital. After Dennis''s repeated insistence, the doctors only gave him a simple stitch and bandage, then brought a piece of raw steak to his hospital room.


    Dennis devoured the steak in a few bites, and the feeling of weakness immediately vanished.


    A doctor approached the bed and handed Dennis a bill. "You need to pay 30,000 years of prison time."


    "I was injured on the job."


    "Sorry, we checked your ID. You''re just a low-level citizen, not eligible for work injury insurance."


    "Goddammit..."


    Dennis cursed under his breath, reluctantly paying the fee.


    The wound quickly healed, and Dennis nced at the clock; it was exactly 10 p.m.


    In the hospital corridor, the sound of a phone ringing echoed, going unanswered for a while. Dennis knew this was the signal for Kanon''s meeting. He jumped out of bed, walked to the nurse''s station, and picked up the receiver under the curious gazes of those around him.


    ...


    <em>Bzzz</em>


    Gu Yi picked up the receiver, hearing static. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in Kanon''s Hive space.


    Kanon nced at Dennis, her face paling at the sight of the scar on his chest, resembling a centipede.


    "Oh my God, you''re hurt?"


    "It''s nothing," Dennis replied, touching his chest. "These wounds will disappear after leaving the Weird World; don''t worry about it."


    Gu Yi raised an eyebrow, "Was it dangerous?"


    "Not too dangerous..."


    Dennis recounted the ambush on Er Gou in detail.


    Gu Yi listened intently and asked a few questions.


    "What happened to Er Gou''s daughter in the end?"


    "I heard she fell into aa. She couldn''t withstand the strain of the teleportation, and her brain suffered severe damage."


    "This is the price Er Gou paid for his power. No matter how hard he tried, his daughter was destined to leave him in the end; it was all influenced by the rules, a predestined fate."


    Gu Yi sighed, revealing the secret of Er Gou''s power, but seeing the confused looks on Dennis and Kanon''s faces, he decided not to exin further.


    It was clear that, despite being adventurers, they couldn''t see through the cognitive barriers left by the Morticians.


    Gu Yi felt a deep sense of regret for Er Gou''s actions.


    To free all the people of Wapeng, Er Gou used the Rule Maker and sacrificed his family and his freedom. But in the moment of crisis, he chose to give up his life to try and save his daughter.


    And what was the result?


    He neither saved his daughter nor himself nor did he free the people of Wapeng.


    On one side was his family.


    On the other was the freedom of all the people of Wapeng.


    After graduation, Er Gou faced the trolley problem once more. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too, but ultimately ended up with neither.


    Unlike Gu Yi, who had the chance to try over and over again, Er Gou was bound to end up with nothing in the end.


    "Let''s not discuss Dennis''s route for now," Gu Yi said, turning to Kanon. "Kanon, how about you? Was Xiao Xue sessfully saved?"??.

 Chapter 211: New Mission Plan

    Chapter 211: New Mission n


    "Kanon, how about you? Was Xiao Xue sessfully saved?"


    "It was actually quite dangerous. Once you enter the nightclub, you''re treated like a ve and can''t leave..."


    Kanon briefly summarized her progress.


    When she described how she used a story to dissuade the pervert from killing, both Gu Yi and Dennis expressed their admiration.


    "That actually worked?"


    "You''re really clever."


    "I was just lucky," Kanon said, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something, Mr. Gu. How did you get Xiao Xue out of the nightclub?"


    "Kidnapping."


    "That could be risky. The nightclub owner is vicious, and he has a lot of thugs. I even saw some with guns. He treats the hostesses like ves andmodities. If you take Xiao Xue away, you might face retaliation..."Gu Yi stroked his chin and said:


    "I''m already on Er Gou''s turf, and I can ignore the rules and use my skills freely. So, I''m not worried about retaliation. Besides, I''ve gained Er Gou''splete trust, so I can gather more information for us."


    Kanon nodded and asked, "So what''s our next mission?"


    "You both have the opportunity to upgrade to second-level citizens. The next task is to achieve that promotion as quickly as possible.


    Didn''t Da Luoshan extend an olive branch to you?


    You can use this opportunity to advance. You can use the excuse of looking after Xiao Xue to keep her close. She''s your leverage; with her by your side, Er Gou won''t dare do anything excessive to you.


    Additionally, you''ve gained Constantine''s favor while serving drinks. Da Luoshan likely recruited you to use you to get closer to Constantine. You should continue to leverage your talents.


    As I''ve mentioned, you''re the one most likely to have contact with high-level citizens. We need you to gather intelligence from the higher-ups."


    Kanon nodded in agreement.


    After finishing his instructions, Gu Yi turned to Dennis.


    "How are you feeling now?"


    Dennis touched his wound and calmly replied:


    "I have a zombie physique, so my survival ability is extremely strong. Even if my head were cut off, I could survive for three days like a cockroach. However, the downside is that I can''t eat normal food and have very little resistance to mental contamination."


    "To make my skill origins usible, the system assigned me the identity of a modified human. I''ve secretly investigated these so-called ''modified humans,'' but so far, I''ve found nothing. It seems only high-level citizens have ess to that information.


    Havingpleted the mission, the chief will likely arrange for my upgrade when I return. What should I do next?"


    Gu Yi nodded and raised two fingers.


    "I have two goals for you.


    First, after upgrading to a second-level citizen, find a way to stay within the police force.


    Second, gather intelligence within the police force, focusing on two main areas:


    1. The punishment records for ''Chen Zeyu'' over the past twenty years.


    2. The punishment records for ''Gu Yi'' over the past twenty years."


    "Wait, isn''t your name Gu Yi?" Dennis asked curiously. "And who is Chen Zeyu? Did I miss part of the plot?"


    "Chen Zeyu is Er Gou. However, the name ''Chen Zeyu'' has been dered ''dead'' in Wapeng, so he had to use the name Er Gou.


    Upon entering this world, I inherited the social rtionships and reputation from the previous dungeon. Chen Zeyu was my roommate in that previous world.


    To my surprise...


    I didn''tpletely follow the previous world''s timeline but just skipped twenty years ahead. During those twenty years, both Chen Zeyu and I underwent drastic changes.


    The missing twenty years may be key to uncovering the truth behind this dungeon.


    If you can infiltrate the police ranks, investigating these matters will be much easier for us."


    Dennis responded, "Knowing the name alone isn''t enough. In this world, names and IDs are separate things. At the police station, I can only look up things using IDs."


    "Exactly, and that''s what puzzles me," Gu Yi continued. "Everyone guards their name as if it''s more important than their life.


    In a previous deduction, I mentioned my name, and as a result, I was killed in my sleep.


    Based on this, my hypothesis about names and IDs is:


    1. A person''s name is their true essence.


    If their name is exposed, it''s equivalent to losing their life, as it would mean others could kill them at any time.


    2. The ID is a brand marked on citizens by the Unspeakable.


    The Unspeakable uses IDs to manage and control citizens, utilizing them to better manage registries and enforce the citizen ranking system."


    "In Wapeng, many tasks are handled by robots and AI. For these machines, using IDs is indeed easier than using names.


    Knowing just the names doesplicate the investigation, but it''s unavoidable. I can''t say exactly how we should proceed. I''ll also keepmunicating with Er Gou to see if I can uncover what happened during those missing twenty years. By tackling it from both sides, our efficiency should improve."


    "I understand," Dennis nodded, fully trusting Gu Yi''s n.


    In this despairing world, having an experienced adventurer like Gu Yi leading them could help them avoid many pitfalls.


    "Alright then... let''s all strive to clear this dungeon sessfully."


    "Good luck!"


    The group confirmed some more details of their n and then exited the Hive space when the time was up.


    Gu Yi opened his eyes.


    A police officer stood in front of him, holding a cut phone line.


    "You psycho, I cut the phone line, and you''re still holding the receiver?"


    "I was just ying house; is that illegal?"


    "Uh... I guess not."


    With a sneer, Gu Yi left the police station and headed to the back backyard of the casino.


    Er Gou sat under the skylight, looking lost in thought. The room behind him was Xiao Xue''s.


    "She hasn''t woken up yet?"


    "No..."


    "Do you think the nightclub people wille after her?"


    "I don''t know," Er Gou replied. "Don''t worry; as long as I''m here at the casino, they won''t dare send anyone."


    "Of course, I trust you."


    Er Gou hesitated, wanting to check on Xiao Xue, butcked the courage. He looked at Gu Yi for help.


    "Haa.. should I go in?"


    "Um... please do."


    Gu Yi shrugged and pushed open the door to Xiao Xue''s room. She still had her eyes closed, but Gu Yi''s keen mental sense told him she was awake.


    "Why are you pretending? You''re awake, aren''t you?"


    "Why did you kidnap me?" Xiao Xue dropped the act, opening her eyes and angrily berating Gu Yi. "You lowlife! How dare you hit me?"

 Chapter 212: Teenage Rebellion

    Chapter 212: Teenage Rebellion


    Gu Yi gave Xiao Xue a stern look and used psychological suggestions on her. She immediately stopped talking.


    "No matter what, I¡¯m in the same generation as your father. You should call me uncle, got it?"


    "Hmph."


    Xiao Xue lowered her head and let out a soft grunt.


    "Even if you are my uncle... why did you tie me up? Who does that?"


    "It''s to keep you from running away."


    "That''s kidnapping."


    "You''ll understand everything tomorrow," Gu Yi calmly replied. "Tomorrow, you''ll see whether your dad and I were lying to you. Just go to sleep; being knocked out all the time isn''tfortable, right?"


    "Hmph."Xiao Xue closed her eyes and turned to face the wall.


    Gu Yi left the room, exchanging a look with Er Gou.


    They both shook their heads in unison, muttering, "Teenagers..."


    They shared a knowing, wry smile.


    "Er Gou, there''s something I need your help with."


    "No need to be so polite. What is it?"


    Gu Yi shrugged. "I''ve written a story, and I want your help to publish it."


    "You need to be at least a second-level citizen to publish a novel."


    "Does rank matter to you?"


    Er Gou paused, "Not really... but why do you want to publish a book?"


    "To find a way to defeat him. Haven''t you heard the saying?"


    "What saying?"


    "Words have power."


    Er Gou was silent for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.


    "By the way, what were you going to tell me earlier?"


    "Nothing." Er Gou waved his hand. "Give me a day to prepare the publishing. Come find me tomorrow night."


    "Alright."


    Er Gou turned and left the casino.


    Gu Yi returned to his room, tied his feet as he did the previous day, and sat at his desk writing until he gradually fell asleep.


    ...


    In the real world.


    In just one day, the world''s situation had drastically changed.


    Three countries had formally dered war on Dragon Country.


    The leader exercised restraint, engaging only in basic defensive actions and avoiding offensive moves. Meanwhile, a small portion of Dragon Country''s poption had gradually been corrupted by a weird force, bing increasingly extreme in their beliefs.


    Incidents of rioting, looting, and arson were bing more frequent, stretching the police force thin.


    The Dragon Country''s strategy team had temporarily halted their research on dungeons and were instead focusing on helping the police maintain basic social order.


    "Hey, everyone, don''t rush! One at a time!"


    Xi Wang stood on a tform, distributing wartime supplies to the affected residents.


    Two days ago, the capital had suffered an air raid, with arge number of civilians losing their lives and homes.


    Once war breaks out, humanity loses its sanity.


    To the enemy, there''s no distinction between civilians and soldiers¡ªonly between the living and the dead. They bombed residential areas, destroying what was once the most prosperous city.


    Qu Kangping led another team in the capital to establish defenses against weird powers, preventing the enemy frompletely losing their sanity and deploying extremely dangerous weird power weapons.


    After the previous lessons learned, the capital''s prison was now heavily guarded.


    Should the mes of war reach there and the dangerous prisoners be released, nothing short of a nuclear bomb could stop these lunatics.


    "Hoo..."


    Xi Wang leaned back in her chair, wiping sweat from her forehead.


    In the surveince monitor, Gu Yi was still asleep at his desk, while Xi Wang and others had not slept for two days and nights.


    "Sorry, Gu Yi," Xi Wang said helplessly. "I''ll bet fifty cents that if you don''t solve the dungeon in the next twenty days, our is done for."


    She pulled a fifty-cent coin from her pocket and ced it in front of the monitor.


    "Hopefully, this time, you''ll win the bet."


    ...


    The next morning.


    Amotion woke Gu Yi. He looked up and nced out the window.


    The sky outside was just beginning to brighten.


    A group of men holding clubs stood in front of the casino''s entrance, all dressed in matching suits, clearly there with ill intent.


    "Open up!"


    "Let the person out!"


    Gu Yi snapped awake and quickly closed his eyes.


    (Deduction Begins!)


    (You stand up from the chair.)


    (You trip and fall.)


    (You remember that you haven''t untied the rope around your legs.)


    (You untie the rope, run out the door, and stand behind the group of thugs.)


    (You: What are you here for?)


    (Thug: We found out you kidnapped one of our youngdies. We''re here to take her back.)


    (You re at everyone and use your psychological suggestion ability.)


    (The thugs disy expressions of fear, instinctively dropping their clubs.)


    (A tall, middle-aged man steps out from the group, ordering all the thugs to pick up their weapons again.)


    (Man: Pick them up!)


    (You: Get out.)


    (Hearing yourmand, the thugs scatter and back away.)


    (The man curses loudly.)


    (Three or four service robots fly over, surrounding the thugs.)


    (Man: You dare disobey me? Do you want to be fertilizer?)


    (You observe the man.)


    (His mental strength is much stronger than that of the thugs, making your psychological suggestion less effective.)


    (His clothes appear more expensive, and he can use service robots, indicating that he''s at least a second-level citizen. He might even be the owner of the nightclub.)


    (You: Leave this ce; this is our territory.)


    (Man: Who do you think you are? Bring Er Gou out.)


    (You: I don''t know where he is.)


    (You shake your head.)


    (Man: You''re not worth talking to. Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue, where are you? I''m here to take you home!)


    (Creak, creak¡ª)


    (You hear a noise from Xiao Xue''s room.)


    (To your shock, Xiao Xue forces open the window and calls for help.)


    (Xiao Xue: I''m here! Help me!)


    (You clench your teeth in anger, almost biting your lip.)


    (You: Stop!)


    (You block the man¡¯s way.)


    (You and the man start wrestling.)


    (The service robots fly over and begin electrocuting you with high voltage.)


    (Robot: You have vited Rule A-009. You will be sentenced to 100 years in prison...)


    (You recall Rule A-009, which prohibits the use of violence against high-level citizens.)


    (Your body bes paralyzed.)


    (The man continues to punch and kick you, while the service robots issue a warning.)


    (Robot: You have vited Rule B-009. You will be sentenced to 10 years in prison.)


    (You recall Rule B-009, which prohibits violence against low-level citizens.)


    (The same act of violence results in a 100-year sentence for you and only a negligible 10-year sentence for him.)


    (Man: I''ll give you a hundred years. Let me finish beating this guy up first.)


    (Wearing thick-soled shoes, the man kicks your head hard.)


    (You see stars.)


    (You lose consciousness.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)??.

 Chapter [NaN]

Chapter [NaN]


    The text is missing, perhaps a site error, report this to the admin #panic#

 Chapter 213: Teenage Rebellion (2)

    Chapter 213: Teenage Rebellion (2)


    "That stupid woman, whose side is she on?"


    Gu Yi cursed inwardly. Fortunately, he had deducted in advance and discovered that Xiao Xue was aplete traitor.


    <em>Is being a hostess really that appealing to her? Even at the cost of her life?</em>


    Gu Yi closed his eyes again.


    (Deduction Start!)


    (You push the door open, bypass the thugs, and head straight to Xiao Xue''s room.)


    (You open the door and find Xiao Xue struggling to free herself from her bindings.)


    (You immediately use psychological suggestions to calm her down.)


    (Noisy footsteps echo from outside the door.)(You notice a strange expression on Xiao Xue''s face.)


    (You quickly step forward and grab her arm.)


    (You: Come with me.)


    (Xiao Xue: What are you doing?)


    (You: Someone''s here to capture you. I''ll take you to a safe ce.)


    (Xiao Xue: Capture me? Is the nightclub owner here?)


    (Xiao Xue opens her mouth to shout, but the psychological suggestion hasn''t worn off yet, causing her to hesitate.)


    (You quickly hoist her up, bypass the house, and hide her in the workshop by the back door.)


    (The strong cognitive interference there prevents the thugs outside from entering for now.)


    (Xiao Xue leans by the window, staring nkly at the thugs outside.)


    (Xiao Xue: That''s my boss.)


    (You: He''s a vampire who skins you and drinks your blood.)


    (Xiao Xue: He gave me a job, a ce to live, food to eat, and a ce to bathe. Why is he a vampire?)


    (You: Do you actually feel grateful to him?)


    (Xiao Xue: Shouldn''t I be?)


    (You remain silent.)


    (The noise from the thugs wakes up the casino staff.)


    (A dispute starts between the two groups as the nightclub thugs insist on storming into the casino.)


    (The casino staff don''t dare to stop them, as Er Gou isn''t present, and they can''t openly defy a high-level citizen.)


    (The nightclub''s people begin searching the casino.)


    (As the psychological suggestion wears off, Xiao Xue bes restless, seeming to want to call for help. But you quickly approach her and cover her mouth.)


    (You open your right palm, summon the ck orb, and use it to smash a nearby wooden box.)


    (Xiao Xue bes startled.)


    (You: I can tear your mouth apart at any time. You''d better behave and not do anything rash.)


    (Xiao Xue nods.)


    (After ten minutes, Er Gou arrives.)


    (You stay hidden inside the room, unable to hear what he''s saying, but from afar, Er Gou''s expression looks cold.)


    (Finally, the nightclub''s people leave.)


    (Er Gou first checks your room, thenes directly to the workshop.)


    (Er Gou sees you and Xiao Xue.)


    (Er Gou: It''s fortunate, you''re quick-witted.)


    (You: It''s nothing.)


    (Xiao Xue bites your finger, drawing blood


    (You let out a small gasp and release her.)


    (Xiao Xue: You kidnappers, you''re all criminals.)


    (Er Gou: We''re trying to save you.)


    (Xiao Xue: Nothing good happens around you. Save me? My ass!)


    (Er Gou: Didn''t I tell you? Constantine is here.)


    (Xiao Xue: That''s just your excuse.)


    (Xiao Xue curses loudly and storms out.)


    (Er Gou stands silently.)


    (You quickly chase after her.)


    (You: Your father is really trying to save you.)


    (Xiao Xue: I don''t need his help. He''s a liar, full of lies.)


    (You: He''s your father; why would he harm you?)


    (Xiao Xue: I''ve known for a while. You''re in cahoots with him, aren''t you? I overheard you chatting. You both graduated from Wapeng High School. That ce is full of cold-hearted people. Go ahead and be your high-level citizens. I just want to be a low-level citizen.)


    (You: Calm down, okay?)


    (You use psychological suggestions on Xiao Xue again, finally calming her down.)


    (You ponder for a moment.)


    (You: Why do you think your father is lying to you?)


    (Xiao Xue: Because he is lying. He''s never told me the truth. He keeps following me, spying on me, monitoring me. Is that what a father should do? He caused my mother¡¯s tragic death just for the sake of researching those baseless magical rituals. He''s a selfish person.)


    (You: He''s doing something important.)


    (Xiao Xue: Important? For what?)


    (You: To give everyone freedom.)


    (Xiao Xue: Freedom? Ha! Maybe he should start with freeing himself first. Uncle, why don¡¯t you ask yourself honestly? What kind of price does one have to pay to graduate from Wapeng High School? To reach his goal, he abandoned his own parents and family. One day, he¡¯ll do the same to me.)


    (You suddenly fall silent.)


    (Xiao Xue steps forward and grabs your cor.)


    (Xiao Xue: Let me ask you; the top student of Wapeng High. If killing me would bring world peace and freedom for all, would you do it?)


    (You: That''s the difference between me and your father. I wouldn''t kill you; I''d kill the person asking the question.)


    (Xiao Xue: Liar, just like my father.)


    (Xiao Xue leaves.)


    (You follow her, trying to use psychological suggestions again.)


    (The effect of the suggestion has little effect; she no longer trusts you or Er Gou.)


    (You terminate the deduction!)


    Gu Yi shook his head.


    Based on the information provided by Kanon, Constantine would remain here for a while.


    If Xiao Xue returned to the nightclub, who knows what dangers she might face again?


    If something happened to her, what shocking things would Er Gou do?


    And how can his own n proceed smoothly?


    Due to the influence of the power of rules, the trust between Xiao Xue and Er Gou could never be restored.


    The more you interact with Xiao Xue, the more apparent it bes thatmunication with her is futile.


    Her deep-seated bias against her father is almost impossible to change.


    Since she can''t trust her father, he must make her trust himself.


    Moreover, Gu Yi discovered a small detail: using psychological suggestions repeatedly on the same person in a short time reduces its effectiveness.


    Therefore, he must gain Xiao Xue''s trust within three uses of the skill, before its cooldown period.


    "Let''s start!"


    Gu Yi closed his eyes once more.


    (Deduction Start!)


    (You leave the room.)


    (You head straight to the nightclub entrance, observing your surroundings.)


    (The nightclub''s main door is tightly shut, and as a low-level citizen, you can''t enter.)


    (Security guards stop you and attempt to drive you away.)


    (Not wanting to waste your skill cooldown here, you circle around to the back entrance and crawl into the nightclub through the venttion duct.)


    (Your feet briefly leave the ground, causing an electric current to sweep through your body. You quickly press your toes against the duct wall to avoid triggering further electric shocks.)


    (You arrive at the lounge, where the girls are all sound asleep,pletely unaware of your presence.)


    (You smell a hint of blood.)


    (You approach a private room door, guarded by two thugs.)


    (You use psychological suggestions to drive away the two thugs.)


    (You gently push the door open.)


    (The scene before you almost makes you vomit.)


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