Chapter 808: The Non-existent One

After a brief pause, the boy continued speaking at lightning speed:

"First, let's clarify the two key points of this mission."

"The key to scoring lies in the mutants and the number of votes cast."

"Each mutant is worth 100 points, each individual vote 5 points."

"5*18*2 = 180 points! Though it seems the least rewarding to vote for others, it is actually the biggest reward of this mission."

"This means that if both sides prioritize killing each other, they cannot score points."

"The reason is simple."

"If the mutants are found early and then a quick stalemate ensues, it will prevent maximizing point farming."

His eyes flickered.

"Furthermore, suppose Andre finds the mutant first."

"He can actually only have the system kill Lin An, gaining no points."

"Because if he tries to vote for Lin An, Lin An will surely counter-vote Andre, causing a stalemate and Lin An's death by the system."

"Of course, Andre had already anticipated that Lin An would think of this, so he let Lin An vote first to gain the advantage; the subtext is once again assuring Lin An that he harbors no killing intent."

"And Lin An, everyone knows he has a huge demand for points, although the specific reason is unknown."

"Thus, Lin An likewise wants to farm points as much as possible."

"Even if he first finds Andre's mutant, he will tacitly continue farming points rather than killing Andre."

"Killing the opponent yields nothing besides fewer points."

"With one in, one out, that's 360 points—who would willingly give that up?"

"For such smart people, this loss is something they absolutely cannot accept."

Li Shouyi let out a breath, his eyes somewhat downcast:

"Not only that."

"When Lin An was questioned the second time, the subtext was that he had rehearsed the subsequent outcome, again asking Andre how he could guarantee they wouldn't kill each other, and questioning whether Andre had any hidden means."

"After all, even killing the opponent yields no benefit, the temptation is still great, because a death match is imminent."

"And Andre is very smart; he openly shows his intention to win Lin An over, proving for the third time that he will absolutely not disrupt point farming, and hints to Lin An that they can cooperate in the death match, so there's no need for him to kill Lin An now."

"An absolutely rational game."

"And..."

He stared, dumbfounded.

The middle-aged man listened to Li Shouyi's analysis, instinctively glancing at Andre.

"He never expected that so much thought lay hidden behind a simple round of turn-based voting."

Li Shouyi saw this and forced a smile:

"Uncle Wang, there's actually more than that. For instance, Andre's suggestion to stop scoring after three people is essentially also about reducing risk. Plus, so far no mutant has been found."

"I suspect... could it be that they two already knew who the mutant is?"

"The middle-aged man called Uncle Wang opened his mouth, seeing Li Shouyi's dejected expression, and aside from giving up on rebelling against Lin An, he couldn't help privately chatting to comfort him:"

"It's fine; being able to think of all this is already impressive."

"In our Safe Zone, you are everyone's acknowledged..."

Before he could finish speaking, the boy rubbed the old pocket watch on his fingertip and gave a bitter smile:

"Uncle Wang, you're not me; you can't perceive the gap between me and Lin An and Andre."

"It seems I've also thought of these, but actually..."

"I actually spent a full eleven minutes to figure it out, then deduced the general subsequent changes."

"Andre, upon hearing the task, took only one second... even 0.1 second!"

"And Lin An, at the same time, without hesitation pointed out the loophole, forcing Andre into a corner!"

"Just in terms of thinking speed... the gap between me and them... is... a 600-fold difference..."

His expression stiffened, the middle-aged man shuddered all over, suddenly understanding why Li Shouyi appeared so anguished.

"Alright, Uncle Wang. Let's just give up."

"If nothing unexpected happens, this round of the trial should end peacefully."

"I've considered many possibilities, but Andre probably really just wants to farm points. As long as we don't court death, we'll be quite safe."

He put away the pocket watch, a faint hint of doubt flashing in the boy's eyes.

"Though that's what he said, he always felt something was off."

"It has nothing to do with logic, but rather a sixth sense from the depths."

"Andre's team, private chat channel."

"Undercurrents surged; finally, several of the Awakened Ones present began to communicate privately with expressionless faces."

"There are still three rounds left; the second player can then activate."

"Mm, don't reveal any abnormality."

"His tone tinged with astonishment, one of them lowered his head, forcing himself not to look toward Lin An:"

"The terror of Lord Andre is beyond their comprehension.."

He gave a light chuckle.

"I think, even when Lin An dies, he won't be able to figure out how he died."

"Death? Not necessarily."

"Perhaps Lord Andre will merely make him surrender all his points and spare his life; after all, the lord seems genuinely interested in him."

"What's there to be interested in? The lord is just playing mind games; if that's really the case, letting him take the lord's place, I'd be the first to object."

A scoff.

From the moment Lin An accepted the plan, it proved that he, Lin An, was nothing more than that.

The companion beside him felt somewhat helpless:

Also don't underestimate Lin An.

He could lead the team all the way here, proving his strength; at least in thought and will, he's far stronger than us.

All that can be said is that, lacking information, even the wisest sage cannot deduce the truth out of thin air.

So what? Lord Andre and Lin An didn't start the trial at the same time? Not discovering it just proves that Lin An is weaker than Lord Andre!

Between them, it's fundamentally a difference in life level...

Countdown: 59... 58..

On the huge round table, each side's team had only five people left.

This round, Lin An voted first again.

Lin An.

Looks like the mutant might be between the two of us.

Andre spread his hands, a faint smile appearing on his face.

But don't worry, I'll let you vote for me first.

Or, if you really have concerns, we can end this mission when only three remain.

Sitting beside Lin An, Fiona silently watched Andre, somewhat confused.

One must say, Andre, wearing a silver crown and always maintaining kindness, has considerable personal charm.

Every move of his reveals sincerity.

As a result, many in Lin An's team were somewhat convinced by such bearing.

Compared to the cold Lin An, Andre, like holy light, is more likely to win everyone's favor.

He gave a slight nod.

Behind the mask, Lin An looked expressionlessly at the opposite side.

His fingertip tapped lightly; this time, he did not quickly decide who to vote for.

Critical vote.

As the numbers dwindle and the points that can be earned approach the final count, the contest between the two sides will reach its peak.

Whoever finds the mutant first gains the initiative.

If the mutant's priority was 1 in the initial vote, it has now been raised to 10!

Lin An, should we vote for Andre first?

I think, if there's a problem, it can only be him!

We still haven't found the mutant, but I always feel something's off.

At the same time, Ron and Fiona privately messaged him in sync—one always wary of Andre, the other guided by a woman's intuition.

And opposite them.

The last few people beside Andre also couldn't help but nervously stare at Lin An out of the corner of their eyes.

Go ahead and vote; once this vote is cast, everything will be over!

Absolute confidence: they believed Lin An could never possibly find the mutant hidden among them.

Countdown: 31 seconds...

Tick-tock.

Time was passing.

At 29 seconds, Lin An suddenly moved.

Vote.

Number 20.

As soon as his words fell, everyone present froze in place.

Number 20?!

Where did number 20 come from?! Both teams have 19 people.

Lin An, voting into thin air?!

In silence.

Andre, who had always kept a smile, froze, his smile vanishing like a sun encased in ice.

And the Awakened Ones beside him were even more like they'd seen a ghost, mouths agape.

0.1 seconds later, the system prompt also sounded:

"5:0 (auto-forfeit), number 20 Awakened One eliminated."

Mutant eliminated.

Reward: 100 points.