Chapter 206: Wen and Huo Deduce

Horn’s personality was truly quite pleasing to Wen Xishu; there was a feeling of having met too late.

Wen Xishu said:

"Did you hear any strange sounds just now?"

Horn shook his head:

"No."

Wen Xishu was startled:

"No?"

Horn was somewhat surprised:

"It seems another off-field clue has occurred that only you can perceive?"

Wen Xishu was curious about the term "off-field clue."

"Why call it an off-field clue?"

Horn said:

"Although in terms of attitude, one shouldn't be too self-centered, in the process of resolving troublesome events, I view myself as a player."

"In this way, if information appears that doesn't belong to me, I consider it off-field information."

Wen Xishu liked this answer very much.

At this moment, the sky had gradually cleared, and as Wen Xishu, under Horn’s guidance, defeated the Sin Sea Giant Beast, the Sin Sea Giant Beast in the distance also vanished along with it.

But Mia, beside them, was still muttering the sentence she had been repeating not long ago.

And that feeling of being locked onto by something had not disappeared.

"So, he is a woman."

After defeating the Sin Sea Giant Beast, Wen Xishu had gradually recalled some things.

Some distinct characteristics of women began to gradually become clear in his memory.

Horn said:

"In Longxia, there is a very interesting saying I like, called Yin and Yang."

"Now it seems this world has Yin and Yang; men generally present a Yang state, and women generally present a Yin state. Of course, it is not absolute, but the world is ultimately in a state of Yin-Yang harmony."

"Once there is no Yin, the Yang itself is actually unbalanced."

"Fortunately, we have temporarily preserved this concept. But it looks like monsters will appear again."

The Sin Sea Giant Beast will not die; it will continuously evolve and become stronger and stronger.

However, after killing the Sin Sea Giant Beast, it seems it won't be drawn here again for a short time.

"We must find a safe place; if the Sin Sea Giant Beast appears again, I fear it will become very difficult to deal with."

The Sin Sea Giant Beast is like some kind of error-correction mechanism.

Wen Xishu and the others, having retrieved the lost concept, are like a bug in this world.

The force used to kill the bug might not be strong at first, but it will grow stronger time after time, and the intensity will become increasingly large and exaggerated.

Horn nodded; although he didn't know where to hide, he also felt that, at the very least, they should leave this place first.

Thus, Wen Xishu once again carried one person on his back, pushed another, and with a person resting flat on Horn’s numb legs, they began their journey.

"Survive twenty-four hours, and after returning to the Ark, perhaps many questions will have answers," Wen Xishu thought to himself.

As for Mia, Wen Xishu tried to seal her mouth.

He had a feeling that Mia’s incessantly muttering mouth was like some kind of signal transmitter, allowing the Sin Sea Giant Beast to locate them.

Interestingly, when Wen Xishu plugged Mia’s mouth with something, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and both of them felt that they could finally stop thinking about "women."

Horn and Wen Xishu were not easily influenced by external factors, but whenever the lost concept was mentioned, their thoughts were always easily interrupted.

Mia, who had seemed awake, actually fell into a coma again after her mouth was blocked.

This scene made Horn click his tongue in wonder.

Horn also did not forget Wen Xishu’s initial question.

"What sound did you hear?"

Wen Xishu said truthfully:

"Someone is calling for help. He told me the next island is critical, and I must enter the next island."

If the person saying this were not Wen Xishu, Horn would think the other party was talking nonsense.

But now Horn listened very seriously; he frowned:

"Continue."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"At first, this person was not calling for help. He just told me the Sin Sea Giant Beast is very hard to kill and that it will continuously evolve."

"But at least my speed is very fast, fast enough that it is difficult for the Sin Sea Giant Beast to lock onto us."

"And as I defeated the Sin Sea Giant Beast, it seems he had other expectations of me."

"He began to call to me for help."

Horn seemed to have thought of something; his expression became increasingly grave:

"Continue, continue, what key words did he say?"

The four words "key words" also made Wen Xishu realize the problem.

The Sirius constellation?

No, this information is not critical, at least not critical to Horn and the others.

Wen Xishu immediately thought:

"He said he is in the Ark."

Horn immediately shouted to stop:

"Stop, stop! Stop right here."

Wen Xishu stopped pushing the wheelchair, and Horn closed his eyes to begin thinking.

After all, he knew more information than Wen Xishu.

However, Horn was not just thinking simply; he began to recount many fragments of information.

"The Ark, ability users, people who are continuously sacrificed, energy, the normal sea area, the Sin Sea, Sin Soil fragments, sea beast invasion... stopping on the island."

"You are on the island and heard a call for help from someone claiming to be from the Ark! No, not from the Ark, but that person is still inside the Ark."

"I think I have a clue. But I need someone to review it with me."

Horn and Wen Xishu looked at each other, and they both thought of the same thing. Soon, the two began to construct possibilities.

Horn said:

"Shall we piece together a story? By the way, we can continue moving."

Wen Xishu nodded; he began to push the wheelchair forward while saying:

"You go first?"

Horn said:

"There exists a very powerful ability user in the Ark, extremely powerful. For some reason, this ability user was imprisoned in the Ark."

Wen Xishu couldn't help but retort:

"Your storytelling pace is too fast. Starting with the climax?"

Horn countered:

"I can't exactly start from the Free State slaughtering the Indians, or the discovery of the Free Continent during the Age of Discovery, can I? Or perhaps you want me to start from the apocalypse descending and the Free State building the Ark?"

Wen Xishu replied:

"Fine, my turn. This imprisoned person has a very powerful ability, perhaps exceeding all other ability users on the Ark, but overall, he just longed to ride the Ark away from the apocalypse."

Horn nodded:

"Although I don't know why you assumed that, it doesn't conflict with the story I’m about to tell."

"He longed to be far from the apocalypse and had been hiding his ability."

"But he was still discovered by other ability users, and the captain of the Ark likely developed fear because of his power... or some kind of greedy desire. In order to deal with him or control him, they united with other ability users to imprison him."

It was Wen Xishu’s turn:

"But after that, strange things began to happen on the Ark; the imprisoned ability user’s strength was so great it exceeded everyone’s imagination."

"And the original sea area, on that day, suddenly turned into a red sea area."

"The Crimson Sea, named the Sin Sea by your captain. Of course, if we had more details, we would know why he would call this sea area the Sin Sea."

"Then, the Ark began to be attacked by mysterious creatures—the Sin Sea Giant Beast."

"To make the Sin Sea Giant Beast stop attacking, there is only one way—and that is to arrange for people to enter the Sin Soil fragments. Eight people go in; as long as those eight people enter, they can temporarily appease the anger of the Sin Sea Giant Beast."

Horn felt increasingly comfortable; thinking that Wen Xishu’s thoughts were exactly the same as his own, he felt a sense of having a kindred spirit. This was the first time he had felt this way.

"My turn? Alright, actually everyone was deceived, all thinking the Sin Sea was a real sea area. But the truth might not be like that; perhaps the Sin Sea... and the Sin Soil fragments, are not real."

"No matter how far the Ark sails in the Sin Sea... the Sin Sea Giant Beast can always suddenly catch up to the Ark."

"Perhaps, the Sin Sea Giant Beast never left the Ark at all; the Sin Sea Giant Beast is simply summoned by someone on the Ark."

"That person is the one imprisoned by the captain and many ability users together."

Wen Xishu immediately replied:

"Yes, it’s not that the giant beast invaded; it’s because the master of the giant beast has been on the ship from the very beginning."

"The Sin Sea Giant Beast attacks the Ark because the Sin Sea Giant Beast longs to rescue that person."

Horn did not reply immediately this time, but thought for a long while before slowly opening his mouth:

"That imprisoned person possesses powerful strength; he wants to save himself. But he can only save himself through the Sin Sea Giant Beasts."

"We originally thought that only by approaching the Sin Soil Fragments—that is, landing on an island—could we avoid the Sin Sea Giant Beasts..."

"But looking at it now, is landing on an island a means to eliminate the Sin Sea Giant Beasts' desire to attack? Or a means to sever the connection between that person and the Sin Sea Giant Beasts?"

"I might as well be a bit conspiratorial and assume that after eight people sacrifice a certain concept, they can calm the Sin Sea Giant Beasts' desire to attack—"

"That is where the contradiction arises."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Yes, I can't figure this part out either. If we all lost the concept of 'woman,' we could make the Sin Sea Giant Beasts behave for the next day—without attacking us."

"Then why, when we refuse to lose this concept at this moment, does it attack us instead?"

The splicing of the two men's stories suddenly broke off.

Because they were both stuck. After a long while, Wen Xishu said:

"Is it possible... that the two types of Sin Sea Giant Beasts aren't from the same system?"

"Is it possible that the Sin Sea Giant Beasts on the Sin Sea are the self-rescue desires of the imprisoned person?"

"And the Sin Sea Giant Beasts within the Sin Soil Fragments symbolize... a kind of error-correction mechanism?"

Horn also immediately understood what Wen Xishu was trying to express, and he revealed a slight look of shock:

"You mean to say... there is no Sin Sea at all? And no islands called Sin Soil Fragments??"

Wen Xishu said:

"Brain in a vat, have you heard of it?"

Horn's face turned somewhat pale.

"You should remember, right? Once a certain stage is reached, the giant beasts will plunge everyone into hallucinations." Wen Xishu asked again.

Horn nodded:

"Yes... yes, I understand, Wen Xishu, I understand everything!"

"So that's how it is... so everything is like this?"

Horn truly understood, and Wen Xishu understood as well.

Horn began to speak incessantly:

"If we never land on an island, we will see rotting flesh appearing on the cabin walls. It’s as if... we are inside the belly of a Sin Sea Giant Beast."

"There is another point. Every island is different; on some islands, the lost concept is children, on others, the lost concept is the elderly. And other islands... like this one we are on, the lost concept is women."

"Furthermore, the Sin Soil Fragments, which are these islands, some are cities, some are deserts, and some are small towns..."

"Ever-changing and chaotic. At first, I thought like a game player... that this was just game design."

"But thinking about it now, it's not like that!"

"It's consciousness! It's a consciousness habitat!"

"Remember how we leave?"

Wen Xishu certainly remembered:

"Scarlet sea fog blocks the view, sea monsters attack from the outside, no one can see the scene outside the sea fog, and no one dares to open the window to face the sea monsters."

"So no one saw... that there are no islands around the Ark at all!"

"And the so-called landing on an island is not the Ark stopping beside an island!"

"The way to leave the Ark is to take the elevator inside the Ark and enter a portal."

"But that is just an illusion; there is no portal at all! That is a consciousness connection device!"

"We... are in the consciousness of that imprisoned person!"

"The eight of us are a kind of game-theory sacrifice!"

Horn clapped his hands and said:

"Brilliant, yes, the eight of us are game-theory sacrifices; this is like some kind of... super-complex hypnosis."

"We assume the Captain is trying to control that strongest ability user."

"By the way, did he say his name?"

Wen Xishu hesitated for a second, then finally decided to tell Horn:

"That imprisoned ability user is called Sirius."

Horn was slightly surprised:

"What a strange name, alright, I can accept it, it's all game design. Hmm... in order to control Sirius, the Captain engaged in a game of strategy with him."

"The so-called game is that Sirius tries to save himself through mental attacks. This manifests as Sin Sea Giant Beasts attacking the Ark."

"The Captain, meanwhile, tries to control Sirius through mental attacks."

"And landing on an island is actually entering Sirius's world of consciousness!"

Horn continued:

"The Captain may have mastered some kind of ritual, some kind of means, to let the eight people enter Sirius's world of consciousness."

"In this world, by making all eight people lose a certain concept... he also makes Sirius accept the non-existence of this concept."

"But among the eight, as long as someone can realize what the lost concept is... they can preserve Sirius's concept."

"Of course, the probability of this is very low. If you, Wen Xishu, weren't here, I wouldn't have been able to hold onto this concept. I have to thank you."

Wen Xishu remembered that before landing, he knew many people had lost certain concepts; in some people's concepts, there were no elderly people. In others' concepts, there were no children.

He couldn't help but ask:

"If... a world without women means losing the harmony of yin and yang, then what does a world without the elderly mean?"

Horn shook his head:

"Perhaps it means... being old-fashioned, it means respect, it means things that only the elderly can bestow."

"Many people say that when you are left without any kin, when you no longer have any elders, you will undergo a huge transformation. You might become cold-blooded, or you might become free."

Wen Xishu said:

"Then what about children?"

Horn said:

"Hope, change. I'm not sure; just as men and women don't necessarily represent yin and yang, I'm just pointing out that the elderly, children, women... these things might just be appearances, and they likely metaphorize some kind of imagery."

"But what is certain is that the more these images or concepts are lost... the more Sirius deviates from his true self, and the more he becomes—like a puppet."

By having people of different categories disappear at different stages... to influence Sirius's inner world?

Wen Xishu felt a chill run down his spine. Ordinary qualified people are actually trying to use some means to turn a demigod into a puppet?

This is truly an extremely bold, yet logical idea.

Horn said:

"So... when we return to the Ark, the sea beasts we face are Sirius's desire for self-rescue."

"But when we enter the world of consciousness, the sea beasts we face are some kind of means of the Captain."

"The two types of sea beasts look the same just to numb us, but in essence, they are different."

Wen Xishu added:

"The reason they can be the same... perhaps also represents that after the previous 'landings' were successfully completed, the Captain has gradually mastered some of Sirius's abilities."

Horn nodded:

"In short, the elderly, children, women... all seem to be some kind of imagery. If these images are lost, will Sirius gradually become indifferent and numb, or perhaps give up on his own salvation?"

Wen Xishu agreed with this view.

He and Horn deduced it together... and felt that although everything was absurd, it was reasonable.

They had never left the Ark, never landed on any island at all; they had just been in Sirius's mental world the whole time.

Without a doubt, they helped Sirius hold onto the concept of "woman."

However, the two of them didn't know if everything was as they speculated, whether they would encounter trouble after returning to the Ark.

In this trip to the Strange Tower, the islands are checkpoints, and the Ark is also a checkpoint.

There is one more point that Wen Xishu is very concerned about—

Sin Soil, Sin Sea, are these names really just a way of speaking?

If it was to cover up the truth, why not use other names?

Why not call it the Scarlet Sea Region, why must it be called the Sin Sea? Why not call it the Chaotic Islands, why must it be called Sin Soil Fragments?

Is there really no connection to the Sin Soil world mentioned by the tea-selling old man?

Horn looked at the sky:

"Dark clouds are gathering again... it looks like the next wave of attacks is coming. Even if Mia is already unconscious, it seems we cannot escape the pursuit of the Sin Sea Giant Beasts."

Originally, Horn intended to use Wen Xishu's controller again to manipulate Wen Xishu into defeating the Sin Sea Giant Beasts once more.

But thinking that the Sin Sea Giant Beasts might be more powerful than before, and thinking that defeating the Sin Sea Giant Beasts treats the symptoms but not the root cause...

Horn suddenly asked:

"The endless fighting doesn't seem like the correct solution. Wen Xishu, do you think that someone like me, without your help, could possibly clear the level alone?"

Wen Xishu heard the subtext:

"You mean to ask, is there a way for an ordinary person to retrieve a lost concept... without triggering the error-correction system and being discovered by the Sin Sea Giant Beasts?"

Horn sighed:

"I wish we had met sooner."

Wen Xishu thought for a moment:

"In this world without women, those of us who know of the existence of women will be erased by the world."

Huo En took up the conversation:

"It's like this: we are viruses, meant to be cleaned up by antivirus software. But before meeting Mia, we hadn't actually unlocked the word 'woman'."

"What if we turn the entire world into a virus?"

Wen Xishu said:

"I think I understand why you have always refused to abandon Mia and Zhu Di."

The sky was still darkening, and Wen Xishu discovered that the arrival of the Sin Sea Giant Beast did indeed have a set time.

This amount of time was enough to do many things.

Huo En nodded:

"We must join forces to defeat the Sin Sea Giant Beast once more; it might be a bit tricky this time, but afterward, we won't have to run away pointlessly, and can instead do something crazy enough."

Wen Xishu smiled and tossed the controller to Huo En:

"Huo En, I truly hope that in the future, you can leave the Ark."

(End of chapter)