Chapter 108: Narrative Prison (Five)

【Stage Two Objective: Enter five engine rooms, press the buttons, then proceed to the Warden's Office】

【Stage Two Time Limit: None】

【Stage Two Failure Penalty: None】

As the system announcement sounded, Li Cheng dragged his leg irons out of the cell and deliberately placed a pillow against the door to prevent it from closing. The hand-forged key, after completing the task of unlocking the door, had jammed permanently inside the keyhole.

This aligned with the classic puzzle-game trope—items no longer of value vanish for some reason, avoiding excessive options that might confuse the solver.

He circled the cell once and discovered the external space was not a regular quadrilateral but a hexagonal honeycomb pattern. Each corner extended into a corridor, each ending in an unremarkable wooden door.

Above each doorframe hung a brass plaque, reading left to right: 【Flashback】, 【Continuity】, 【Reversal】, 【Warden's Office】, 【Misdirection】, 【Protagonist Effect】

In front of the corridor leading to the Warden's Office stood a two-meter-tall "Pishi" vending machine, stocked with chocolate bars, cola, juice, potato chips, even shirts and pants—all branded "Pishi."

Above the Pishi vending machine was a steel plate, engraved with dense text via laser.

【Prisoner Guidelines】

【Dear Prisoner, welcome to the Narrative Prison. To facilitate your incarceration, please take a moment to read the following guidelines.】

【One: This prison employs Reality-Warping Engines and Narrative Ladder Technology, capable of influencing and even altering reality on a metaphysical level. Any significant damage to the prison itself will be reset.】

【Two: This prison has no guards. Many prisoners hold dual identities as "Mass Murderers" and "Civilization Heroes," and their crimes remain under review. Thus, the prison does not restrict prisoners' freedom of consciousness or movement. Prisoners may attempt escape by pressing the buttons in all engine rooms—【Continuity】, 【Reversal】, etc. —to reach the Warden's Office. However, all consequences of escape are borne solely by the prisoner. The prison assumes no medical responsibility.】

【Three: This prison's time flow matches the outside world. Life-sustaining meals are provided periodically based on the prisoner's physical condition.】

【Four: Visitation is prohibited. Prisoners may periodically request books or newspapers for entertainment.】

Li Cheng's eyebrow twitched. Judging by puzzle-game logic, the solitary cell was merely an appetizer—these rooms were the main course.

"Could this be the curse of multithreaded thinking?"

He muttered, rubbing his temples. Some solo-scripted missions were tailored by the system to the player's strengths—combat-oriented players were dumped into battlefields to fight freely.

Logic-oriented players were sent to isolated, snowbound mansions to solve mysteries.

Of course, this applied only to certain solo-scripted missions,

Most missions had multiple solutions, but in routine and punishment missions, the system treated all players equally, assigning outcomes entirely at random.

Though he complained aloud, his body still turned instinctively to look behind him. Around his solitary cell were three others.

The four cells formed a "田" shape. His own cell was top-left; the cell bottom-left had its door shut.

Top-right was the cell of the fellow prisoner who had spoken earlier; bottom-right's door panel was open, revealing through the gap a disheveled figure sitting on the bed, head turned toward the wall, curled into the corner.

'The Narrative Prison, said to hold universe-level vicious criminals, has only four inmates? That makes no sense. Or are these cells merely a small portion of the prison?'

Li Cheng pondered, dragging his leg irons, and approached the top-right cell. He politely knocked. "Hello? I've escaped my own cell. Can we talk now?"

"."

Silence lingered in the cell, then came the sound of slippers scraping the floor.

Click.

The food slot in the cell door slid open, revealing a figure before Li Cheng, causing him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

It was a doll-like little girl, her skin gray-white, face delicate and cute, with shoulder-length gray hair. She held a newspaper and wore a blue-and-white prison uniform several sizes too large. The uniform bore the words 【Gray Rain】 clearly.

"Li Cheng?"

Both studied each other. The little girl named Gray Rain read aloud the name on Li Cheng's uniform, her hands folded before her, speaking in a tone far too mature for her appearance: "Aren't you the one who claimed to be Darth Vader, the Sith Lord?"

"Li Cheng is my real name. Darth Vader is a nickname, stage name, alias. No conflict."

Li Cheng spoke calmly without blinking. "Need help prying open this door?"

"Hmph. This solitary cell's door is just decoration. I can leave whenever I want." Gray Rain replied coldly. "You noticed that—what do you think?"

"Flashback, Continuity, Reversal, Misdirection, Protagonist Effect." Li Cheng recited the plaque inscriptions, squinting. "Narrative elements?"

After acquiring the Multithreaded Mind Technique, he had consumed vast quantities of bizarre practical materials—including handcrafted industrial devices from the wasteland, artillery firing calculations, Bart Mosi code, psychological intelligence analysis, military reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance…

In his spare time, he also read history, literature, and philosophy books to pass the time.

Narrative elements were concepts from philosophy, literature, narratology, and screenwriting. Delve deeper, and you'd get a long reading list—Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Borges' The Garden of Forking Paths, Roland Barthes' Elements of Semiotics, and so on.

"Correct."

Gray Rain nodded, her tone flat. "The five engine rooms together form the Narrative Ladder. Closing each engine room weakens the prison's surrounding narrative stance."

"Close all five, and you escape successfully."

Gray Rain's lips curled slightly, her smile laced with mockery.

It made sense—after all, the prison had written the escape guide right on the wall, clearly signaling its absolute confidence in its security.

Gray Rain knew exactly what Li Cheng wanted to ask and spoke first: "If you plan to escape, I'd suggest prioritizing the Reversal Room. I won't tell you what's behind the door—every prisoner encounters different conditions."

"Also, if you bring me a bottle of fresh-squeezed corn juice, I'll tell you more."

"Corn juice? Like from the vending machine?" Li Cheng hesitated. "That requires coins. I don't have any."

"I don't care. Corn juice = information."

Gray Rain snorted, hopping back onto the bed and resuming her newspaper.

Her appearance was adorable, yet her personality was oddly cruel. Li Cheng rubbed his temples, suddenly reminded of his cousin.

Still, he glanced again at the newspaper in Gray Rain's hands.

Headline: 【Mysterious Virus Outbreak on Swan B Star】. Content: "Colonial city on Swan B Star has seen a sharp rise in severe illness cases. Patients, including mechanical citizens, exhibit symptoms of sluggishness, insomnia, joint stiffness, and occasionally cough up metal fragments. The Stellar Colonial Committee's Health Defense Bureau assures the public that all is under control. Do not panic."

(End of Chapter)