Chapter 232: Divided into Three

Hearing such sensitive information, Wen Xishu frowned slightly; he was now somewhat afraid of anything involving the soul.

But after thinking about it, it was highly unlikely he would encounter someone with methods like the captain's on the thirtieth floor or above.

Wen Xishu did not dwell on it and directly activated the login device.

……

……

【Please allocate items and abilities. Continue.】

It felt a bit unfamiliar.

Before Wen Xishu had even opened his eyes to experience the new challenge scenario, this sentence appeared in his mind.

"This is too game-like. Is this the effect of the Scorpion Blade after being strengthened by Three Lives Produce All Things?"

Wen Xishu's consciousness landed on the word "Continue."

【The Brave, the Wise, the Benevolent.】

Wen Xishu seemed to understand.

"Could it be that I have to control these three people?"

"With such standard Japanese RPG character settings, how does this not feel related to a hair-raising concentration camp at all?"

Wen Xishu thought for a moment; the Brave must be the one with stronger combat power, so he assigned the Slaughter Sequence to the Brave.

The Wise was naturally good at analysis, but when it came down to it... if he controlled the Brave himself, wouldn't he also be good at analysis?

That said, Wen Xishu still chose to give the Eerie Sequence to the Wise and the Desire Sequence to the Benevolent.

After all, he had enabled Minimalism this time; in other words, his magic resistance was pitifully low.

The core component of the item mastered by the Brave was the Murderous Soccer Ball, the item mastered by the Wise was the Controller, and the core component for the Benevolent was the Adventure Wine Glass.

After the allocation was finished, Wen Xishu saw the following line of text.

【The game is about to begin. You have seven days. Please ensure at least one person can survive or escape this challenge.】

It seemed that if all three people successfully escaped, that would be the best ending.

Only one person surviving but failing to escape was the second-worst ending, and the worst ending, of course, was total annihilation.

For the first time in a long while, Wen Xishu felt a bit nervous; he was very curious about how he was supposed to control three people.

The moment his thoughts surged, a strong electric shock caused Wen Xishu to feel unbearable pain.

He let out a painful cry.

Due to Minimalism, Wen Xishu no longer possessed the strongest attributes of the Slaughter Tower and the Eerie Tower, and his physical body had become someone else's, so this current made Wen Xishu's brain dizzy.

This was a form of torture.

"Do you know you were wrong? Chris! Do you know how presumptuous your behavior was!"

A person's voice roared.

Wen Xishu was certain this was roaring at him.

The surging current made him lose even the ability to observe his surroundings. Wen Xishu knew very well that he had to show weakness. Regardless of whether he was the Brave, the Benevolent, or the Wise at this moment... facing this intensity of current, if he resisted, either his brain would break or his body would break.

"I know! I know!" he shouted loudly.

Another voice questioned:

"Know what!"

Wen Xishu complied and said:

"I know I was wrong!"

As his own voice emerged, some memories seemed to appear in his mind.

【Collecting enough memories will help you improve yourself.】

A line of text appeared in his mind again.

Wen Xishu also immediately recalled that he was a veteran named Chris, who had post-traumatic stress disorder and found it very difficult to get along with ordinary people after returning from the battlefield.

The current began to gradually weaken, and Wen Xishu started to breathe with difficulty.

A person dressed as a doctor, wearing a white coat and a mask, had eyebrows curved with a smile in their eyes:

"Good, good, this is progress. Chris, I finally heard you say you were wrong. You see, our treatment is very effective."

"But you broke the rules here, so you are going to be put in solitary confinement."

For some reason, solitary confinement made Wen Xishu feel subconscious resistance and disgust.

He instinctively shuddered.

Two people wearing camouflage uniforms and steel helmets hoisted the already weak Wen Xishu up.

Wen Xishu wondered, is Chris the Brave?

If the Brave is tortured like this right from the start... is the Benevolent even more miserable?

【Unlock Rule One: Within xxx, do not xx count numbers silently. xxxx when you hear someone looking for you xxx within xxx, please do not xxx.】

As a top-tier expert at climbing the Eerie Tower, Wen Xishu knew very well that this kind of rule prompt was like a cockroach; when you find one rule prompt like this, it means there are many more similar ones underneath.

"It involves Eerie Rules..."

At this moment, Wen Xishu was still in a paralyzed state, unable to establish a connection with his body.

He could only let the two burly men carry him toward the solitary confinement room.

He himself was also interpreting these rules.

"I don't know if it's a problem with the character I'm playing or a magic resistance issue... I can't interpret the rules."

"As it stands, I am heading to the solitary confinement room, so the rules for the solitary confinement room have been unlocked. 'Within xxx' should refer to inside the solitary confinement room. 'Do not xx count numbers silently'... well, generally speaking, if you can't do something, you just don't do it."

"And it wouldn't add another word... I guess it should be 'do not stop counting numbers silently'?"

Wen Xishu was not sure; he could only be certain that based on his current ability to interpret rules... he would very likely fail because of the rules.

"What does 'hear someone looking for you xxx' mean? Does 'please do not xxx' mean to refuse or to agree? Damn it, this opening is a bit too painful."

Just as Wen Xishu was thinking this, he received a prompt.

【The current character is in a coma and will not attract the attention of "them" for a short time, meeting the switching conditions. Do you want to switch characters to the Wise or the Benevolent?】

【Yes, No.】

Hearing this prompt, Wen Xishu seemed to understand.

"The way the game is played, it looks like I am playing three people?"

"Damn it, it used to be me playing myself, my name is Wen Xishu, going to save others... why has it changed this time?"

Intuition told Wen Xishu that this Eerie Tower level design could have many variations, but the format should remain the same.

If there is no "Wen Xishu" character, then how am I supposed to gain favorability from the qualified?

Chris looks like the Brave, a veteran, presumably with decent combat power, but obviously, no matter how decent his combat power is, he does not possess the ability to fight head-on.

"Starting with electrocution, then asking me if I was wrong... how does this feel a bit unspeakable?"

"However, since 'they' were mentioned, I assume this is not the kind of place for curing addiction that I understand; this place should be worse, and there are eerie creatures and eerie rules."

"Also, switching characters must be done when the character meets the switching conditions, I get it."

Although there were still many questions, Wen Xishu seemed to have guessed how to play this mission.

He would play three characters, using their characteristics, skills, and items to figure out the current predicament from three perspectives.

He would make good use of the character-switching ability to coordinate between himself and himself to escape this place.

"My information is still too scarce right now; I'll switch to the Wise first to get at least a little bit of intelligence."

Wen Xishu's attention landed on 【Yes】.

Sure enough, in Wen Xishu's field of vision, three people appeared. One person's avatar was a phantom, indicating that it could not be switched to at the moment; this was Chris's avatar.

Wen Xishu discovered that Chris did indeed fit the "Brave" image, appearing extremely tough.

The other two switchable targets were a man and a woman; the man was a teenager, ordinary, with a dull gaze.

The woman's gaze still had a spark of life, but she had very deep dark circles under her eyes.

Wen Xishu wanted to experience the Wise more now; he didn't know where the Brave was brave, so he urgently hoped the Wise could allow him to obtain enough information.

But he was also unsure for a moment which one, the man or the woman, was the Wise and which was the Benevolent.

However, this question did not bother Wen Xishu for long; soon, while he was hesitating, he saw the prompt again.

【You failed to make a choice quickly, so you have been forcibly switched to the Wise identity.】

That's fine, luck wasn't too bad, Wen Xishu thought.

Next, he once again had the dizzy feeling of just entering the Eerie Tower.

Wen Xishu's brain felt a sharp pain.

"Don't tell me it's another electrocution opening?"

Opening his eyes, the stone in Wen Xishu's heart landed.

This time, Wen Xishu was playing a teenager.

"What is your name?"

"I... I don't remember." Wen Xishu thought for a moment and answered truthfully.

He had not yet obtained the relevant memories of his identity.

"Very good, Zhou Fei, you are recovering very well. Keep it up. Next, it's time for you to take your medicine." The person dressed as a doctor seemed very satisfied with this answer.

Wen Xishu hadn't expected to stumble upon the right answer.

"This doctor... I clearly don't remember who I am, and he actually thinks it's very good? It seems this is not any proper treatment."

As his name "Zhou Fei" appeared, some memories seemed to flood into his mind.

Zhou Fei, a top student. He had outstanding learning ability but a solitary personality, did not like to talk, and had been living at his uncle's house in the countryside.

There is a cousin who looks very much like himself, named Zhou Ming.

This memory comes in a rather strange way.

Regarding Chris’s memory, Wen Xishu feels it is quite logical; first, he recalls that he is a retired soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is why he does not fit in with ordinary people.

Coming here is likely to treat something, at least the background is consistent.

But Zhou Fei’s memory catches Wen Xishu completely off guard; in such an extreme environment, Zhou Fei’s first memory is that he has an older brother.

Wen Xishu’s train of thought is quickly interrupted.

Because what follows is slightly terrifying.

The doctor stands up and claps his hands.

As the clapping sound fades, the sound of rubber-soled shoes rubbing against the floor comes from the corridor; subconsciously, Wen Xishu feels fear, and he actually develops the urge to curl up in the corner of the iron-frame bed.

The woman in the white coat floats in carrying a tray. Her footsteps have no rise or fall, and the calves exposed beneath her skirt have the luster of a wax figure.

Subsequently, the woman arrives beside Wen Xishu.

"Open your mouth." Her eyeballs remain motionless behind her lenses.

Wen Xishu does not want to open his mouth, which causes the male doctor at his side to tilt his head and scrutinize Wen Xishu:

"Perhaps he is just pretending; should he be sent to the intensive care unit and locked up with that Chris?"

The female doctor maintains her indifferent expression:

"Feed him the medicine first; not everyone can survive in the intensive care unit."

The male doctor nods:

"Zhou Fei, open your mouth."

Wen Xishu begins to face a choice.

He realizes one thing—

If he refuses to cooperate, it might cause some of his previous efforts to go down the drain... The Zhou Fei he is playing is a top student; can a top student be stupid?

Although certainly not comparable to Horne, he must surely have his own way of surviving.

Of course, if he refuses to cooperate, he could reunite with Chris. Wen Xishu also knows that the reason Chris is the Brave One is because he can survive in the intensive care unit.

In other words, the Wise One he is currently playing is in the moderate care unit, while the Brave One is in the intensive care unit...

The Benevolent One is likely in the mild care unit.

"Cannot reunite too early; reuniting too early is meaningless. I must map out all three areas before I can escape."

Thinking of this, Wen Xishu ultimately chooses to open his mouth. He acts as if he is unable to think, his gaze dull, opening his mouth only with slight hesitation.

The male doctor scrutinizes him for a good while:

"It seems I overthought it. The medicine is taking effect."

The moment the white pill dissolves at the root of his tongue, the ceiling suddenly becomes covered in blood-vessel-like patterns.

Wen Xishu desperately wants to scream, but finds his vocal cords have turned into water-soaked cotton.

The woman uses a cotton swab to dab at the medicine stain on the corner of Wen Xishu’s mouth, and Wen Xishu sees something eerie: there is actually a suture line on the woman’s neck, and something bulging beneath the skin is writhing.

Them.

Although he does not know what these doctors actually are, he can be certain that the other party is not human.

Wen Xishu’s big heart keeps his expression unchanged; he remains like a fool, his gaze dull. This also puts both the male and female doctors at ease.

"Let’s go, go feed the others medicine."

The man and woman leave.

Wen Xishu wants to induce vomiting, but at this moment, he suddenly receives a rule notification.

[Unlock Rule 2: Vomit inside the human body has a special odor; do not let them smell that odor.]

The medicine has already begun to be absorbed.

Wen Xishu’s brain begins to grow sluggish. He feels like he is drunk, his brain becoming dizzy.

"Brave One is unconscious... Wise One is a moron..."

Wen Xishu’s current feeling is like Xiahou Dun looking at Louis XVI—he cannot see the end of it at a glance; this challenge seems more difficult than imagined.

He only feels that his brain has already developed a problem; his inner thoughts even have a voice.

[Unlock Rule 3: After the medicine is digested, all your thoughts will be spoken out of your mouth for five minutes. They are highly sensitive to the ramblings of thoughts.]

At this moment, Wen Xishu finally realizes...

This is not his brain having a problem, but that he is truly hearing voices.

This means that if he thinks carefully and logically without encryption in the next five minutes... then these thoughts will be spoken as ramblings and heard by "them."

Fortunately, the words "Brave One is unconscious, Wise One is a moron" likely won't expose much.

"Hahahaha, hahahahaha..."

Wen Xishu now has to play the part of a moron for five minutes; he must act like a fool, with chaotic thoughts, letting his brain go blank.

"Ahe, hehehe."

"Woooo..."

If there were a camera filming this segment, it would definitely become Wen Xishu’s dark history.

Although this is in such a terrifying environment, if Wen Xishu were to watch his own performance now, he would probably find it very hard to bear.

Fortunately, five minutes is not very long.

When these five minutes end, Wen Xishu feels a bit of pressure in his heart.

"This opening is too harsh. The Brave One has lost consciousness, and this Wise One seems to be losing his mind too."

"But the Wise One’s traits are clear now; with two consecutive rules unlocked, the Wise One can see the complete rules."

"This is the Wise One’s ability; if the Wise One gets close to the Brave One, he will likely be able to help the Brave One interpret the first rule."

"And the Brave One likely has a very good constitution, able to endure torture in the intensive care unit."

"But now... it should not be time to make contact yet."

The second effect of the medicine arrives; as the five minutes of speaking his heart out end, a sense of fatigue washes over him, and Wen Xishu has to face deep sleepiness.

"It seems I have to switch to the Benevolent One. I wonder what the Benevolent One’s traits are."

Falling asleep will not attract their attention; Wen Xishu now meets the conditions for switching again.

In the cold ward, Wen Xishu’s vision gradually blurs and compresses.

And the next instant...

He opens his eyes and sees bright sunlight. The sunlight shines into the window, making one feel healed and warm, completely different from the previous scene.

This is the mild care unit.

But even in the mild care unit, there shouldn't be such a feeling.

"When parents call, answer without delay..."

Wen Xishu suddenly recites this sentence.

Subsequently, his gaze falls upon the children in the study room.

That group of children also begins to chant along, "When parents call, answer without delay..."

One child does not chant along; he looks very frail, his lips are somewhat cracked, as if he has not had water for a long time.

At this moment, the sunlight outside the window is suddenly blocked.

Wen Xishu subconsciously looks over and discovers it is a "doctor."

Wen Xishu already knows that the doctors here are not human. They are "them."

The doctor’s eyes are fixed on the child with cracked lips and a frail frame.

"He is not being obedient, Brittany; I am taking him away!"

Memories begin to surge.

"My name is Brittany... I am a language teacher; my family background is very affluent, but not long ago, I began to suffer from depression, and my parents were in a car accident."

His brain begins to sting; Wen Xishu forcibly endures the pain, not letting his expression change.

The "doctor" enters the classroom at this moment, intending to take the child to some place, perhaps to transfer him from the mild care unit to the moderate care unit.

But at this moment, Wen Xishu suddenly realizes that he seems to be able to do something.

He decides to try:

"Please don't do that. Give me a little more time."

The "doctor’s" footsteps stop. It looks at Wen Xishu, that is, Brittany.

There is greed in those eyes, and finally, it nods:

"This is the last time."

They actually left.

The child, who was trembling with fear, looks up and looks at Wen Xishu with gratitude.

Wen Xishu understands:

"Brittany’s memory gives me the feeling of being gentle and possessing astonishing beauty; is her beauty actually effective against them too?"

"The Benevolent One is the one with the lowest threat level; because the threat level is low, Brittany can be a bit freer, and can even appropriately make requests of them..."

[Unlock Rule 4: They like xxx things; their desire for xxxxx, after reaching the limit of xxx, xxxxxxx]

Another rule that cannot be fully interpreted.

Wen Xishu has not fully figured out the traits of the three roles, but he roughly understands them.

"The Wise One can interpret rules, the Brave One can 'make mistakes' because his body can withstand some punishments, and the Benevolent One can temporarily blend in with them. Even make requests of them."

"That rule, perhaps it means they like beautiful things? Before their desire reaches its limit, they might accommodate the Benevolent One?"

After briefly experiencing the three perspectives, Wen Xishu began to think about how to escape this place.

"Assuming this is a prison... then the prison's exit is very likely in the intensive care unit. Otherwise, Chris could just ignore it, as there would be no need to enter the intensive care unit."

"Then, how do I transfer the other two characters to the intensive care unit?"

"It is worth noting that if the Wise One takes medicine frequently, he will likely lose his wisdom, and regardless of whether it is the Wise One or the Benevolent One, if they enter the intensive care unit by way of 'worsening condition'..."

"Then it is very likely they will be met with a round of electrotherapy right away, and this is damage that only the Brave One can withstand."

"Furthermore, if the Benevolent One's condition worsens... I am afraid it will also trigger their desires, and by then, there is no telling what they might do to Britney."

"This is very troublesome."

In the memories Wen Xishu had currently obtained—Britney, Zhou Fei, and Chris had no connection to one another.

A student, a foreign teacher, and a veteran; there was no way to link them together. Moreover, they were in different areas.

This mission gave Wen Xishu the feeling that it was not associated with Gemini.

"For now, figuring out which constellation's area this is isn't that urgent; the most urgent thing is still to find a way... to find a breakthrough."

Just as Wen Xishu was thinking about all this, another notification appeared.

[Chris is about to enter the solitary confinement room; danger may occur.]

Wen Xishu felt the pressure. If he could not leave this place next, settle Britney down, and keep Britney in a state of temporary safety...

Then he would be unable to switch, and it was very likely that Chris would encounter danger in the solitary confinement room.

"I must achieve an ending where all three people survive."

Thinking of this, Wen Xishu had to first find a place to let Britney enter a safe state that did not require management for the time being.

At the same time, he also realized—

If he was even slightly careless, a certain character might die because they were not properly arranged; in a sense, he could die twice, so the mission had a high margin for error...

But if he wanted to achieve a high-completion ending that would have a major impact on the future, then he had to make all three people survive.

Just as Wen Xishu was lamenting the difficulty of this mission—

Wen Xishu discovered an Easter egg.

(End of chapter)