Chapter 184: Despicable Me (9)
Chapter 184: Despicable Me (9)
"You once escaped from me unscathed, but that doesn’t mean you’re particularly clever.
You relish deducing objective truths, but can you ever truly grasp the intricacies of human thought?
Many have participated in my game—these self-destructive souls who hold no regard for life itself. And you… how are you any different from them?"
As Feng Bu Jue listened, he sensed hidden intentions in these words. Puppet’s next statements quickly confirmed his suspicion.
"When unknown shadows linger in the mind, most feel helplessness and fear, giving rise to anger and hysteria. These emotions stem from their attachment to life.
But you… you confide in no one, seek no help. You simply live numb, continuing your mundane existence without displaying humanity’s instinctive, fierce will to survive.
Your actions betray no gratitude for being alive—a contempt for the laws of survival. A cornered beast will still fight, yet you stand there, as if you’ve already surrendered.
I despise the ungrateful.
Do you think fearlessness can let you evade judgment?"
As Feng Bu Jue absorbed these words, he recalled another virtual character, X-23, who had once pierced through his psyche. Yet this puppet—Bi Li—had interacted with him far earlier. Even then, Bi Li had shown signs of transcending their programmed role. While the concept of cerebral shadows could be attributed to data detected by the Gaming Pod or neural interface systems, hearing these truths spoken aloud still exerted undeniable psychological pressure.
Bi Li continued, "Death is always a surprise party… unless your heart is already dead.
But in my eyes, your heart beats as vividly as any ordinary person’s. Your mind is far more active than theirs. You possess the same emotions—seven emotions and six desires—yet you remain indifferent to the question of whether you’ll die in the next second.
Now, let’s see if you can maintain this attitude.
Now, you must pay the price."
Suddenly, a rumbling sound of Heavy Machinery erupted beneath Feng Bu Jue’s feet. The metal Secret Room floor split apart, dividing symmetrically along the axis of the entrance. The two halves slid slowly toward the walls, leaving Feng Bu Jue just enough time to leap aside.
Beneath the floor yawned a pool filled with liquid. Its depth matched the room’s height—seven to eight meters—more than enough to drown someone like Feng Bu Jue, who couldn’t swim.
"This pool holds no water—only gasoline. Soon, you’ll lose your footing.
As one who cannot swim, you’ll need the courage to defy your survival instincts and locate the potion hidden at the bottom."
The puppet paused, then added details, "When the floor fully retracts into the walls, the gasoline level will begin to drop. Simultaneously, the floor will close back toward the center. Once the liquid recedes to half its original depth, the floor will shut permanently above your head. Even if you re-enter this room later, it won’t open again…"
Before the sentence finished, a splash echoed—Feng Bu Jue had already leaped into the Gasoline Pool.
True, he couldn’t swim, but holding his breath was manageable. Taking a deep breath, he pinched his nose, puffed his cheeks, and dove feet-first into the Gasoline Pool.
He sank rapidly toward the bottom…
Based on Bi Li’s described rules, this game allowed only one attempt. Failure meant permanent defeat. The unfinished sentence—"even if you re-enter this room"—revealed everything. Feng Bu Jue knew this meant that if he drowned, even if he revived via Contra Medal and returned from the corridor, the floor would never reopen. Once the floor closed again, it would remain sealed forever.
Furthermore, as the floor closed, the gasoline level would drop, likely preventing Feng Bu Jue from resurfacing after retrieving the potion and climbing back up.
In short, this game forced a non-swimmer to search for an item at the bottom of a Gasoline Pool as light above faded. Drowning before finding it meant failure; even retrieving it and returning to the surface might prove futile if the floor closed completely.
For a skilled swimmer, the solution was straightforward. Air pockets existed between the floor and the pool’s edges. With patience, one could ration energy, repeatedly surface for air, and methodically search the bottom. The pool’s area was limited, and once the gasoline level dropped to half—three to four meters deep—it would take only a dozen dives to scour the entire base.
This method, however, required two critical precautions: first, keeping eyes tightly shut; second, avoiding inhaling gasoline fumes.
The first was common sense—gasoline’s corrosive vapors could sear mucous membranes. A few drops might dissipate harmlessly, but opening eyes underwater would be self-mutilation. Especially once the floor closed, plunging the depths into darkness, sight would be useless anyway.
The second posed a severe disadvantage for Feng Bu Jue, a non-swimmer. Even if he struggled to reach the gasoline’s surface—its buoyancy weaker than water—without knowing how to coordinate breathing, he’d risk choking. Inhaling gasoline into his lungs would leave him to drown in agony.
Feng Bu Jue understood these risks. Even as he listened to the rules, he’d begun formulating a plan.
As the floor began shifting, he focused intently on the pool’s bottom. Initially illuminated by a narrow slit, the light widened progressively. Since the artificial light source sat at the ceiling’s center, the entire pool bed became visible before the floor fully opened. Yet from above, it seemed empty.
Feng Bu Jue confirmed this and acted decisively. Based on his reasoning, the potion lay hidden beneath the iron cage’s shadow.
(End of Chapter)
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