Chapter 793: Playing the Rules

Accustomed to seeing corpses.

Dead Awakened Ones shouldn't make people feel afraid.

But when those cloudy eyes dully swept over the crowd, many still stepped back in fear.

The unknown causes fear.

Especially when death comes at the edge of victory.

"It shouldn't... it shouldn't..."

An Awakened One standing before the portrait stared blankly at the corpse on the ground.

He knew this man, or rather, they were among the first to wait.

"He clearly threw the right move, clearly cloth can beat stone..."

"He won!!"

Everyone fell silent.

They could somewhat understand his feelings.

What seemed a simple, sure-win game imposed great pressure on them due to the man's incomprehensible death.

Discussion began.

After regaining their senses, many began to speculate, trying to pool ideas.

Someone spoke up first:

"Did that guy just make a mistake in the last round?"

"Did he throw cloth but end up with scissors?"

"He hasn't eaten in a while; his hands might be shaking..."

No sooner had the words fallen than an impatient voice sounded:

"Impossible, even if the dead were stupid they wouldn't make such a basic mistake!"

"You yourself can see how big the difference is between cloth and scissors!"

Sitting on the few available chairs, a youth wearing a baseball cap bluntly retorted.

His expression was awkward.

The man who asked first didn't mind, and couldn't help adding a second possibility in a low voice:

"Could it be that he threw too slow? After all, the lights seemed..."

Before he could finish, the others snorted and cut him off:

"Don't ask such basic questions anymore—if the dead were slow or mistaken, how could they claim victory?"

"Don't look for fault with the dead; I think we should examine the rules."

Upon hearing this, the others nodded in agreement.

Exactly.

Those eligible for the Will Trial, no matter how weak, are still strong in reality—at least at the peak of the Second Level.

Such a basic mistake is absolutely impossible!

Discussion continued.

People began trying to find clues from the mission information.

With too many possibilities, no one dared approach the ghost grandma again before finding a convincing answer.

Sitting beside Lin An, Fiona pondered for a moment, then unconsciously glanced at his profile.

"Lin An..."

"What do you think the problem actually is?"

"I wonder if the issue lies with the three-win streak condition—it's a bit harsh..."

"I feel we'll have to lose many people before finding the right answer..."

He closed his eyes in thought.

Lin An shook his head slightly, then placed his index finger to his lips, signaling Fiona to stay quiet.

"Don't overthink..."

"Huh?"

Not quite grasping Lin An's meaning, Fiona blinked, worry welling up inside her.

"Don't overthink... is it that the clues are too few to deduce the correct answer?"

"Should we wait for others to test again?"

"I've got it!"

His voice boomed.

A sturdy Awakened One with a full head of blond hair sprang to his feet, eyes shining with confidence:

"The problem lies in the ghost grandma's words!"

"The mission... is actually simple!"

!?

Besides Lin An, everyone focused on the blond-haired man and instinctively blurted:

"What do you mean?"

The blond-haired man felt the gazes, pondered a moment, then gave an easy smile:

"Do you still remember what the ghost grandma said..."

"('I'm so lonely... you remind me of my cute grandchildren... come play the games I used to play...')"

"Each of these three sentences is a key point!"

Resonant and powerful.

The blond-haired man didn't beat around the bush; he simply spoke while walking respectfully to the old woman's side, as if fearing that after laying out his idea, someone would swoop in and take the task.

"The ghost granny said loneliness, which is hinting that she needs companionship!"

"She repeatedly stressed many times, you are like my grandson!"

"Grandma, grandson!"

"This essentially means the system is reminding us to play our own roles!"

"A lonely old person needs companionship! The ghost granny plays grandma, so we naturally must play the dutiful child!"

"But what did that Awakened One do earlier?"

He snorted.

The blond-haired man bluntly pointed at the corpse on the ground:

"He didn't play his role at all; instead, to chase three consecutive wins, he just kept winning!"

"The system stipulates that winning three rounds counts as victory; this is actually a trap! It's misleading us to win as fast as possible, not allowing a single loss!"

"So, the key to breaking the situation is role-play!"

"Of course, because I've experienced the meme! I realized that this mission is actually somewhat like the meme! Therefore, it's normal for you not to notice!"

He looked proud.

He specifically pointed out the meme.

For no other reason.

He could survive in the meme; although he didn't resolve it, among the vast Awakened Ones he could be considered exceptionally outstanding.

As he spoke, many people's eyes flickered, obviously understanding what the blond-haired man meant to convey.

Especially the blond-haired man's last sentence.

Encountered the meme? Still survived!?

You should know, the concept of meme, many Awakened Ones have never even heard of it.

And those who know can't help but stare at him in shock.

Wearing combat gear, a European theater Awakened One repeatedly asked:

"You mean...!?"

"We can't win that fast, otherwise it wouldn't fit the role-play (as the child)!"

"Because the old person hopes we'll keep her company more!"

"Being fast means impatience! Only seeking victory!"

"If we aren't 'filial,' then the ghost granny naturally won't play the grandmother's role."

"So..."

The Awakened One who supplemented the explanation was somewhat excited.

"So! When that Awakened One earlier quickly won the game, he directly angered the ghost granny! Breaking the role-play rule!"

"Right!"

The blond-haired man laughed heartily, then glanced at everyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'll take first place first!"

"The idea is mine; you all can smoothly pass afterward."

"Believe, you have no objections, right?"

This is both winning over others and demonstrating his thinking ability.

The blond-haired man clearly thought that the subsequent trials would only get harder; relying solely on one person is obviously too dangerous.

He spoke first, neither losing his own interests nor failing to gain a good impression in everyone's hearts.

As for solving the meme...?

. Anyway, it's just a publicity gimmick; he merely vaguely said he had encountered it.

After establishing trust, in the later stages, even if his own idea is wrong, he can use this round's outstanding performance to trick others into scouting the path for him.

Just as he imagined.

No one objected; many even praised others, sighing at his clear train of thought.

After all, hearing the blond-haired man's tone, he is indeed someone who has dealt with the meme.

Such things, with their eerie points, are enough to destroy a war zone!

The oppressive atmosphere suddenly eased.

However, sitting at the edge, an Awakened One with a head like a hydrocephalic infant sharply asked:

"Not win? Spend a little more time with that monster?"

"Naive thinking! If you lose one round, that basically means death!"