Chapter 238: Everything Connected

As the dialogue reached Chris, borrowing Zhou Fei’s body, Wen Xishu only felt his logic was incredibly clear.

Especially since Zhou Fei now already possessed five skills.

After Chris heard Wen Xishu mention the war of aggression, mention Margaret, and mention the interpretation of the rules about stroking the numbers in the solitary confinement room...

He believed that Wen Xishu had come to help him leave this place.

Chris also began to follow Wen Xishu’s instructions, starting to recall his painful past.

Next, in the process of Chris’s recollection, Wen Xishu also began to unlock various of Chris’s abilities. It was the same as it had been with Zhou Fei.

At this same time, Wen Xishu suddenly thought of an essential nature of exploring the Trick Tower and the Desire Tower.

What is most important in the twenty-first century? Talent.

This phrase appeared quite often when Wen Xishu was a child. In fact, applied to the current worldview, this phrase is even more apt.

Wen Xishu’s understanding of the Trick Tower and the Desire Tower is, in fact, finding talent and improving oneself.

Most people climb the tower out of necessity for survival, but when you reach a certain realm and have certain pursuits, the essence of climbing the tower becomes cultivating talent and foundations for the future Three-Tower War.

Jack and Jennifer, Tang Rui and the An brothers, and so on and so forth... all are like this.

In the Trick Tower, the most important thing is to find the right key figures.

Chris’s abilities were still being discovered along with Chris’s memories, but now, as Wen Xishu returned to Zhou Fei’s body, he finally felt the rarity of Zhou Fei’s abilities.

Zhou Fei’s five-stage power: the first stage is Illogical Behavioral Preference.

Once this ability is activated, even if Zhou Fei’s behavior is logical, the opponent will naturally encounter obstacles, creating a feeling like a Trisolaran looking at Luo Ji. It is difficult to predict and impossible to understand.

The second ability: Small-Scale Error Interpretation Correction for Rules. This is even more outrageous; simply put, it is changing the rules.

But it only allows for small-scale changes, with a very, very small margin of change. However, it truly allows you to generate error interpretations and will correct the rules based on the errors you generate.

For example, in the corridor, one cannot perform actions that conform to logical behavior; in Zhou Fei’s eyes, it is that one cannot perform certain specific actions in the corridor. There is a discrepancy between the two, but Zhou Fei can use the error-version of the rules.

The third ability: Overload Drug Resistance. This one is simple: once memory exploration reaches the third stage, drugs have no negative effects on Zhou Fei, and he can even consume a portion of his stamina to make the drugs produce positive effects.

Simply put, immune to all poisons, turning poison into treasure.

The fourth ability: Sleepwalking-Style Ending.

This ability is also very cheap; when Zhou Fei encounters fatal danger, there is a twenty-five percent probability of triggering a Sleepwalking-Style Ending.

To summarize—everything was actually a dream, all false. Zhou Fei will be forcibly returned to a safe stronghold, suddenly waking up, as if all the dangers experienced were just a dream.

Of course, this is not an ability to modify reality; it is a forced teleportation after encountering danger. To activate this ability, one must also have an absolutely safe place to sleep.

The fifth ability, Wen Xishu cannot understand. It is called Will Affinity.

But as Chris’s fifth ability appeared, and as Wen Xishu discovered that Chris’s fifth ability was also called Will Affinity...

Wen Xishu seemed to have some inkling.

Chris’s first ability is called Precision Shooting. Chris is always able to hit what he wants to hit.

The second ability is called Vehicle Domination; without a doubt, Chris can drive any vehicle, and his technique is invincible.

On this point, Wen Xishu also has it.

Wen Xishu truly felt that these abilities did not look like sequences. They looked like certain things he had obtained after exploring the bunker...

For example, the super driving skills that A-Miao had obtained; this was very similar to Vehicle Domination.

For example, Wen Xishu and everyone in the bunker obtained "Iron Lungs."

These traits are not sequence abilities, but they do count as superpowers.

When Wen Xishu heard about Vehicle Domination, he realized that the power Chris and the others had obtained was not the same type of power as Jennifer, Jack, or Tang Rui.

It was a kind of... power that humans could use.

The third ability: War Frenzy. During combat, one can forget pain, or even ignore a portion of the pain, and all abilities are significantly enhanced.

The fourth ability: Killing Efficiency. Once a kill is made, Chris’s ability will increase; the more kills, the higher the success rate of the next kill, stacking continuously.

The fifth ability: Will Affinity.

Yes, Will Affinity again, this ability Wen Xishu cannot understand.

But Wen Xishu was wondering, could this ability be related to his ability to switch between and control the three of them simultaneously?

In Wen Xishu’s view, he is currently opposing the "Great Philanthropist." The Great Philanthropist can use mysterious bugs—perhaps these are not bugs, but some kind of special parasitic organism created by a sequence...

In short, the Great Philanthropist can parasitize others and can, just like himself, forcibly descend into and control the parasitized person.

But in principle, his occupying the bodies of Zhou Fei, Chris, and Britney is not parasitism, just a form of cooperation.

This is what Wen Xishu guessed.

"The essence of the Trick Tower... is a place of obsession."

"The obsessions inside here belong to Chris and the others, and also to these philanthropists..."

"In other words, the rules can serve the bunker tower-climbers, and they can also hinder the bunker tower-climbers."

"The obsession of Chris and the others is perhaps to leave this place. They don’t know each other, but it seems that because of something—perhaps it is Will Affinity—they were locked into the same place?"

"What is favorable to me in the rules is that they have an upgrade mechanism; once the level is high enough, they can easily escape."

"And what is unfavorable to me is that I cannot unlock various abilities as soon as I arrive, and the fifth-stage ability, Will Affinity—since it is at the fifth stage, it means it is the hardest to unlock."

"This requires their most painful memories."

"If playing the game normally, perhaps one might not even trigger the fifth-stage memory by the time they reach the ending."

"So... Will Affinity is a very important clue, one that concerns the perfect ending."

Wen Xishu thought of these things when he saw Will Affinity.

And when Chris finally finished recounting all his memories...

Wen Xishu discovered that many things seemed to be connected. Chris’s memories did not have many twists.

Margaret was not a philanthropist; Chris was different from Zhou Fei and Britney. Chris came from the outer realms, and the war he participated in was not some meticulously arranged Truman Show.

Margaret’s death, Chris’s war of aggression...

They were all real.

But the key to Chris lies in—the war.

That war was actually not simple.

In Chris’s memory, such a passage was mentioned:

"Kill all the children. My companions, and even I, received the order to kill all the children..."

"We were a batch of trained and blessed soldiers. We were more powerful than ordinary special forces; one could even say we were existences they could hardly understand."

"The order we received was to kill all the children in that country."

"Because among those children, there was one who was extremely dangerous."

"I did not do it. I am actually not a qualified soldier. I did not obey the orders of my superiors; all I could think of was Margaret’s anger."

"So in that war, I was only responsible for taking out everyone who tried to protect those children."

"As for killing those children—nailing them to walls or digging out their hearts—none of that was done by me."

"But I know, I am an accomplice. Margaret, in the afterlife, could never forgive me! Never!"

Chris had already begun to suffer.

Wen Xishu realized the key:

"Chris is indeed not some ordinary soldier..."

"They were looking for a special child. This child was very dangerous. Chris and his companions were a batch of blessed soldiers."

"Blessed..."

Which constellation could have blessed them?

Without a doubt, this constellation is at odds with the constellation that rules the Demon City.

The two sides are likely hostile, or perhaps not hostile on the surface, but competing behind the scenes.

Wen Xishu thought of the eldest sister among the constellations—Aries.

Ancient, intellectual, mysterious...

Possessing ancient power.

In short, Chris and his companions were all powerful; they could be called secret weapons. With modern war equipment and their own powerful traits...

They could be said to be very terrifying. But for such a terrifying group of people, was the reason for invading a country to snatch a child?

Unaccountably, Wen Xishu felt that some things had been connected, but it also seemed extremely confusing.

"Were you eager to obtain that child’s power?"

Wen Xishu asked.

Chris shook his head:

"No, the order we received was to kill without mercy."

Something is wrong.

Their orders were to kill, to conquer. Not to snatch.

If that child was very special and possessed powerful strength, normally, they should have snatched the child to study him.

But the order Chris and the others received was to kill.

To kill at all costs.

In this process, Chris’s soldier companions did many cruel things, which, followed by Margaret’s death, led to Chris’s war-related post-traumatic stress.

Wen Xishu closed his eyes; Zhou Fei’s body made him feel that thinking was very smooth.

"No snatching, no studying... it is very likely that it was impossible to study. Choosing to kill... was it to prevent other forces from obtaining it?"

Wen Xishu was moved: "Chris, which country was your opposing force at that time?"

Chris said:

"In times of peace, how could there be any hostility... but at the time, the relationship with Longxia was indeed quite tense."

"What we were invading is exactly what they were trying to protect."

Wen Xishu asked again:

"Chris, did you find that child?"

Chris shook his head:

"I have seen many children... in that broken country, I saw many children, and I don't know who the dangerous child is."

"I also find it hard to imagine how a child could be dangerous; I don't think I found them."

Wen Xishu, however, did not believe Chris hadn't found them.

"You came here... were you reported? Or what happened?"

Inside the confinement room, Chris let out a long sigh:

"Of course I wasn't reported. Although I have severe post-traumatic stress disorder and can't bear to see children..."

"But I haven't reached the point of being reported. The day Margaret died, I was being decorated for merit. In fact... to that country, I count as a hero."

Wen Xishu asked again:

"Chris, have you ever killed a child?"

Chris shook his head:

"I have killed people, quite a few people. Along the way, if a child was purely being used as a target, I would choose to do something else, like driving or patrol reconnaissance."

"Only when I encountered those who were not children would I kill."

"I am not a good person... but I truly did not kill those children."

"I know my soul is destined for hell. Just as my comrades-in-arms said, war is war. Once a war begins, life is just a number. The larger this number, the faster the war can end."

"But I could not bring myself to lay a hand on those children."

Wen Xishu said again:

"At that time, across the world, had many chaotic phenomena already begun to appear?"

Chris gave a hum of agreement:

"That's right. We would also chat about some things from time to time: the rat plague in Moen City, the special virus in Fengcheng, and all sorts of supernatural things we once dismissed."

Wen Xishu thought for a moment and said:

"Then have you encountered anything you felt was quite strange and related to children? Right there on the battlefield you were invading."

This actually stumped Chris.

After thinking for a long time, Chris shook his head and said:

"No."

Wen Xishu did not give up and changed the question:

"Did you communicate with any child? Or was there any child who said something to you?"

Chris thought for a long time again, and this time he nodded and said:

"Yes."

"I once let a group of children go. One child among them, wearing a face mask, said to me, 'I do not belong here; I will find my own destiny.'"

Wen Xishu asked again:

"Did you have any physical contact?"

Chris was surprised by Wen Xishu's focus:

"There was indeed. This... does this have some kind of catch?"

Wen Xishu said:

"Not sure yet, but next, I need to borrow your strength to break open this door. We should get going, Chris."

Will affinity, using thoughts to cover other thoughts while still being able to ensure independence, three people, what Longxia tried to protect...

Many points gradually connected into a line.

Wen Xishu faintly had an answer.

"Right now... I have no strength. It sounds strange; if it were before... this place couldn't have held me at all. But now, I can't use my previous abilities."

Wen Xishu actually thought it was quite reasonable.

Because these are the game rules.

The game rules are that if no bunker player intervenes, the three of you are all lambs for the slaughter. One will be parasitized during the confinement process, and one will be rendered incapable of thinking by drugs.

Of course, Britney's fate would inevitably be bad as well.

In the Strange Tower, Zhou Fei, Chris, and Britney cannot exert their original abilities; only players can, and players must slowly explore, using various stimuli to recover memories and unlock abilities.

Otherwise, it won't work.

Of course, Wen Xishu directly utilized the settings to unlock the abilities of two people.

"Switch."

Zhou Fei suddenly felt a daze; he realized... Wen Xishu had left his body.

Zhou Fei asked:

"How is it? We should leave here... although I don't know what method you used to lure away so many white coats, we really should go."

"Can you now break—"

Zhou Fei hadn't finished speaking.

Chris's violence directly destroyed the iron door. The curled iron door, like bread, seemed to have no hardness in Chris's hands.

The tall Chris appeared. In the dim environment, Zhou Fei could not see Chris's face clearly, but he could feel that immense sense of oppression.

Wen Xishu said:

"Alright, Zhou Fei, let's go solve the next puzzle."

Zhou Fei said:

"We're continuing?"

Wen Xishu nodded:

"We've already reached this point, let's finish it in one go. Don't underestimate the charm of the third person."

Zhou Fei was curious:

"You've controlled another one?"

Wen Xishu said:

"Yes, she is helping us draw fire; it should last for a while longer. Originally, at this time, I should have taken you away."

"But I always feel... that some clues still need to be unraveled. We still have to go to one place. This place, perhaps you know it."

Zhou Fei took a deep breath and said:

"Where are you going?"

Wen Xishu said:

"You came here, and in your memory, it was your uncle who reported you."

Zhou Fei nodded.

Wen Xishu and Zhou Fei whispered to each other as they walked:

"If your uncle hated you so much, why didn't he send you in before the college entrance exam? As far as I know, the number of good people has already far exceeded people's imagination."

Zhou Fei said:

"I don't know. I often can't tell."

Wen Xishu said:

"I think the medium-symptom zone might be able to give us the answer. Next, we are heading to the medium-symptom zone."

"The medium-symptom zone is set up like a ward. Zhou Fei, do you know where places like the archives are?"

Zhou Fei understood; Wen Xishu intended to explore the archives.

"Are... are you sure?"

With Chris there, Wen Xishu felt a sense of security.

"Sure. I can understand why Chris is special, but I still need to understand the special nature of you and Britney, Zhou Fei. Your memory has already overturned my cognition once..."

"But I feel it might not be enough. Perhaps even you haven't discovered certain truths."

Zhou Fei sighed:

"This must be a death dream; I hope I don't wake up suddenly. You are crazy, but since you've decided, then let's move forward. The medium-symptom zone has many strange rules..."

Wen Xishu said:

"Don't worry, I will switch in time."

Controlling two people at the same time is not difficult for Wen Xishu. The difficulty lies in the fact that once Zhou Fei is controlled, Chris becomes a weakened version of Chris.

Once Chris is controlled, Zhou Fei becomes the version of Zhou Fei that can't tell things apart.

Soon, under Wen Xishu's lead, the two arrived at the entrance of the medium-symptom zone.

As for the guards along the way, they were all violently dealt with by Wen Xishu. Chris's body, once controlled by Wen Xishu, is practically a professional killer.

After entering the medium-symptom zone, Wen Xishu switched to Zhou Fei.

With the help of Zhou Fei's ability, a small portion of the rules were modified on a small scale, and then Chris and Zhou Fei both carefully bypassed many surveillance cameras without breaking the rules.

The archives were on the third floor, a place without patients and without any guards.

Most of the patients in the medium-symptom zone had been rendered incapable of thinking by drugs.

There were many white coats here and almost no guards, but the white coats had now all been lured away.

Wen Xishu used Chris's body to open the door with ease.

Glancing at the serial number on Zhou Fei's body, Wen Xishu began searching for an archive room that resembled a small library.

Very quickly, he found the file regarding Zhou Fei.

(End of chapter)