Chapter 111: The Truth Behind Choices
Chapter 111: The Truth Behind Choices
(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 upcoming process that might influence your clearance progress.)
(From the moment you sat in the classroom, 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 blanket, 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.)
([Dormitory Management Rules])
(1. Please keep the dormitory tidy at all times and avoid using any high-powered electrical appliances.)
(2. Do not attempt to go to the roof of the dormitory building; the void storm will tear you apart.)
(3. Do not try to go to the basement; the void tide will swallow you whole.)
(4. There's a vending machine in the dormitory lobby. Before the void passage opens, you can buy food and water from there.)
(5. The dormitory supervisor lives on the first floor. You can seek her assistance for any issues.)
(Next to the dormitory management rules, there's also a map of Wapeng High School.)
(The school comprises three teaching buildings, one laboratory 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 speculate 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 noises coming 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 invigilator's voice in your mind.)
(Invigilator: 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 speculated that every choice made by adventurers in the dungeon would affect the final outcome. 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 regulations.
(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 become impulsive.)
(Chen Zeyu leaves the dormitory, heading to the restroom.)
(You accompany 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 classmates.)
(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 slaps 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 invigilator rings in your mind.)
(Invigilator: 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 balanced, 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: My last name is Yuan, but my friends call me Monkey.)
(You: Why do they bully you?)
(Monkey: Are you implying that the victim is to blame? Instead of questioning those two bullies, why are you questioning me?)
(You: I'm not blaming 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 blamed 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 balance between rationality and emotionality.)
(You end the deduction!)