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墨書 Inktalez
"Remember this well," Dina said, "you've occupied this camp for too long. You have a maximum of ten minutes." Although the arena was spacious, there were many participants, and the setup was quite tight. Some teams were even waiting in line.
Raefus chuckled, "I can hold out for another 48 hours; you won't last." This task had no time limit, allowing Raefus to outlast Dina and her team.
Eva asked with concern, "How are you feeling?"
"Very well. Let's go," Raefus replied, waving to Beiyue and the others before stepping back into the Teleportation Array. Eva and Feng joined him in the array, waving goodbye as they disappeared. After such a long wait, it was certain that Feng and his companions had become friends.
Dina approached the other five. "Congratulations on completing the mission. Now you have three choices. The first option is to automatically pass two people through the assessment, while the remaining five will participate in the second-to-last low-difficulty test. The second option allows three people to pass and participate in the final medium-difficulty assessment. The third option is to continue with the low-difficulty tests without any automatic passes."
Cui Ming laughed, "Dina, you're quite devious. Let's go with the third option; otherwise, you'll treat us like fools. If we don't choose the third option, we'll have to start yielding and giving up our automatic passes."
Dina smiled in response. "Think carefully; after all, the first option is for the second-to-last round. If you don't perform well, the difficulty of the final round may increase. The third option is actually quite good; it guarantees that all your upcoming challenges will be low difficulty. As for the second option, since it's medium difficulty, I doubt you have the courage for it."
"Here it comes! That last statement is interesting. Dina, you're getting better at this; I can't tell if you want us to choose the second option or not."
Dina replied, "I've made a bet with President; if even one of you fails the assessment, I win. Alright, I'll give you eight minutes to discuss."
The five of them moved aside to sit by a grill. Mi Xiaonan made sure to put some cooked meat onto a plate as they saw Beiyue approach. In high spirits, they began eating again. Beiyue felt somewhat awkward standing before everyone and said, "I'm sorry, everyone; I shouldn't have taken this mission." The biggest mistake in accepting this task was making decisions without informing her companions.
"Beiyue, as long as the outcome is good, that's what matters. There's no need to dwell on what could have gone wrong," Cui Ming gestured for Beiyue to sit down. "As for Dina's three choices, I don't have an opinion yet; they all sound reasonable. This time we need everyone to discuss it—Beiyue Captain will make the final decision."
Because nothing was broken, Cui Ming had no objections. Li Qing and Ding Ze believed that the third option could be disregarded. Currently, based on survival capability rankings, excluding the predetermined appearance of Beiyue, Cui Ming was the most likely to be eliminated. Cui Ming was strong against the strong but weak against the weak. It was hard to assess his true strength. If Cui Ming lacked support from teammates, he would be relatively weaker. Therefore, Cui Ming needed a guaranteed pass.
Beiyue said, "According to the needs of the situation, if Cui Ming is to be guaranteed a pass, we can only choose the first or second options. If Mi Xiaonan and Ding Ze are separated, it would also be quite dangerous. I suggest we go with the second option, guarantee third place, and challenge the medium difficulty final round."
Cui Ming replied, "I originally had no opinion, but after what Beiyue said, I feel something is off."
Beiyue glared at him. "What do you mean by that? Are you implying that my choice is wrong? Do you want to fight?"
Cui Ming hurriedly explained, "Medium difficulty means that once we enter the level, we will be teleported to different locations. What if a senior who isn’t guaranteed a pass ends up alone in the most dangerous spot?"
Ding Ze suggested, "For the first option, guarantee Mi Xiaonan and Cui Ming a pass at low difficulty. As long as we finish our tasks quickly, we can enter the final round at low difficulty."
Mi Xiaonan quickly added, "We can guarantee Ding Ze and Cui Ming a pass."
Ding Ze said confidently, "I have teleportation; I can ensure my safety."
Mi Xiaonan chimed in, "I run fast." A scene of modesty was about to unfold.
"Stop," Beiyue interrupted. "Let’s draw lots."
Thinking back now, all three options were fraught with pitfalls. After choosing the first option, they would enter the second-to-last round. Those who were not guaranteed a pass would face danger and adopt a conservative defense while waiting for their teammates' support. This could lead to a medium difficulty final round. It was hard to say; the rules were set by others who would surely exploit weaknesses in their team.
Cui Ming reflected on this and said, "No, both the first and second options carry risks. After Beiyue's mission succeeds, what benefits do we gain? We can proceed to the next level until the final round while keeping the difficulty low. Dina has offered us more tempting conditions for a guaranteed pass. A guaranteed pass is like free chips at a casino. Some casinos give out small chips for free to adults; some adults follow the belief that if they don’t take advantage of free offers, they are fools and use those chips to gamble once. What happens then? It’s not 100%, but 20% of them will end up spending their own money to continue playing. Generally speaking, those who need free chips to gamble lack experience in gambling. The first and second options are like two free chips; they seem enticing but subtly change your original intentions under Dina's influence. At low difficulty, we can work harder together; it’s not an issue. Why should we take unnecessary risks?"
Cui Ming's conclusion was crucial for the team and had complete persuasive power. Once Cui Ming spoke up like this, everyone agreed without objection. When Dina appeared and heard that North Moon Group chose the third option, she chuckled softly—there were indeed traps involved. If they had chosen the first option and two people weren’t guaranteed passes, those two would face relatively dangerous monsters. With that mindset, they would wait for their teammates' support because low difficulty posed no significant challenges but would have some obstacles that could delay time until it exceeded limits; thus leading to a medium difficulty final round.
The second option for those who were not granted automatic advancement was to face a moderately difficult individual challenge. The rules allowed Dina to play casually. However, the North Moon Group chose the third option, leaving Dina with no choice. This group was well-rounded in offense, defense, and strategy; a low difficulty level posed no challenge for them.
Dina asked, "Have you all made your decisions?"
Cui Ming replied, "You don't need to say anything more, Dina. I guarantee you've set a trap for us, and we're pressed for time."
Dina sighed, "Alright then, please proceed."
Since they were entering the second half of the challenge at a low difficulty level, only three tasks remained. After six hours and clearing two tasks, they reached the final one.
Historically speaking, the final task had always been quite grim, and this time was no exception. As soon as they entered, they were captured by a large BOSS and taken to a castle. Resistance was futile; this being was the strongest of the invincible. Then, the BOSS announced a Game, separating the five of them and addressing them individually: "You have three choices. The first option is to pass individually; I can let you leave the castle, and if you do so, you will complete the assessment. The second option is to pass as a group; you can choose any number of people. If those you choose also select you, then you can pass."
This task seemed rather Idiot? If everyone chose each other, then everyone could pass.
But there was one more stipulation: "You can fill out a maximum of three names. Anyone who does not leave the castle must challenge a Substitute Hero. Only by defeating it will you pass."
Cui Ming asked, "What’s the third option?"
"You don’t choose anyone; instead, you all challenge the Substitute Hero. If anyone dies during this challenge, you fail the assessment."
Damn it! Now they had to guess their teammates' thoughts. If Cui Ming guessed correctly, Li Qing would likely write down her own name since she was the weakest link in the team. If he wrote down Li Qing, both he and Li Qing would be out. If he wrote down Li Qing and Ding Ze, only if Li Qing wrote down Cui Ming would she be able to leave; otherwise, both Ding Ze and Cui Ming would have to stay behind. Normally speaking, everyone would opt for the third choice and challenge together.
For an ordinary team, it was likely that members would write down their reliable teammates' names for safety. But for a group of solo players, it posed a significant dilemma.
This question posed no difficulty for the North Moon Group, as Beiyue was predetermined to appear. Therefore, as long as they wrote down the names of the other three members—while those three also excluded Beiyue from their choices—they could complete the assessment without any conflict.
However... the most annoying thing in life is "but." But does Cui Ming have confidence that others can think of it? If there is one person who hasn't thought of this method, or estimates that others won't think of it, then he won't write his name and will prepare for five people to accept the challenge.
Feeling overwhelmed, Cui Ming scratched his head. He was now very worried that someone would write down three names while someone else wouldn't write a name at all. This could lead to two or three people leaving, and the remaining individuals would have to face the substitute alone. The good news was that no one would choose Beiyue; nobody was that foolish. Beiyue would definitely stay, avoiding the awkwardness of a one-on-one confrontation.
As soon as this question was posed, aside from Beiyue, the other four went into a frenzy.
They all thought of writing down three names as a way to pass, but what if one person didn't write? That would be disastrous. Li Qing considered Cui Ming; he believed that Cui Ming's cautious nature would prevent him from taking risks, so he probably wouldn't write his name. They could just go five against one to pass the assessment. Li Qing thought Cui Ming wouldn't write his name, but he really couldn't predict whether Mi Xiaonan and Ding Ze would write theirs. If Mi Xiaonan and Ding Ze wrote down each other's names, they would succeed in the assessment, leaving three people behind. Their defense would be sufficient, but their offensive capability would be severely lacking. Ultimately, Li Qing decided not to write; he couldn't leave.
Cui Ming also couldn't guess what others were thinking. He gave up on writing his name as well; he couldn't leave them behind. He would rather fail the assessment than abandon his teammates in the castle. This was a spirit formed over a year and half a year of being together as five; the benefit of this spirit was that, aside from Beiyue, the other four weren't overly eager to pass the assessment.
Cui Ming flipped the paper over and placed it on the table before opening the door and walking out. In the center of the castle stood the substitute they were about to challenge. The substitute glanced at the time and said, "There are still five minutes left. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
Cui Ming replied with dissatisfaction, "Are you kidding? We're challenging the lowest difficulty level; why do we still have to fight a real opponent?"
The substitute answered, "Because at medium difficulty there are two substitutes, and at high difficulty there are three substitutes. I'm quite weak. However, if you only have two people, I may not be able to win, but I will take one life with me. If you have three people, there's a chance I could kill one of you. If you have five people, then I'll surrender."
"Two it is."
The door opened, and Li Qing appeared. He didn't take the route out of the castle but instead walked to the battle position within the castle and called out, "I knew you wouldn't write your name. Now I'm worried about whether Ding Ze and Mi Xiaonan will write theirs."
"Three people are enough." Beiyue stepped out confidently; she was certain no one would write her name. She took out her Greatsword and said, "Hey, I'm in the enhancement class, not reinforcement." With her left hand holding the Greatsword downwards in a sweeping motion, she radiated an aura of battle readiness. (To be continued.)
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