The secret to communicating with the God of Deception is to be honest. The Mirror God was very frank when he explained that several times he had asked the Turtle Man for divination had not turned out well.
The strong have the subconscious inertia of wanting to be one step ahead of others. Under the dual influence of curiosity and competitiveness, there is an 80% chance that they can drag others into the water.
The God of Deception rolled his white eye, showing little interest. "Divination is illogical. I thought you would hate this kind of behavior."
The reason why the two sides can barely get along is because one is logical and the other believes in truth.
The Mirror Spirit said calmly, "Practice is the only criterion for testing truth."
As I said, fortune-telling is really addictive, and he can't quit it now.
The turtle people don't want to get involved in a meaningless storm. After a long life, the effect of the evolutionary fluid will gradually fade, and they will eventually become ordinary little turtles.
Now it just wants to return to the sunset town to retire.
The turtle man curled up in his shell sadly. He had spent his whole life trying to avoid danger and seek good fortune, so why did he end up like this?
After repeated persuasion from the Mirror God, the Deception God finally put down the book in his hand and began to think. He had always disliked metaphysics, so a test would be no problem. It was enough to prove that metaphysics was a false proposition.
He tapped the stone table with his fingers, and the tabletop immediately split into yin and yang like a Tai Chi diagram.
In the staff dormitory on the left, a black cat was reading the feeding log word by word. In the real dean's office on the right, Ao was furious.
The turtle man, who was secretly feeling sad, suddenly stretched out his head and lifted his eyelids that had been drooping and almost covering most of his eyes. He climbed onto the stone table and stared at the cat with his small eyes.
At this point, the God of Fraud finally showed some real interest. Even across different spaces, the orc seemed to be able to recognize the true soul under the black cat's skin.
He pointed at the black cat and said, "Let's test it."
The turtle man nodded.
While it was performing divination, the God of Fraud noticed that the Mirror God was closely following the process and sneered, "It's nothing more than a desperate escape or a disaster."
Wen Shi and Ao were destined to fight one to the death, the other to live. Neither was a pushover, with Ao at least overwhelming the other in terms of power. Regardless of which side emerged victorious, the battle would be a bloody one.
"What do you mean by escaping from a desperate situation?" Hearing this, the turtle man checked the divination chart three times in a row: "Where is the desperate situation?"
The Kingdom of Jinta was founded by Jingshen. Within the country, there are many internet terms and famous quotes about the real world, all of which Jingshen had heard from Wen Shi's adoptive father.
The tortoise man looked at the hexagram and concluded: "All roads lead to Rome."
"…"What nonsense are you talking about?
"It's perfect." The turtle man stared at the divination result in fascination: "Even the hexagram looks so festive."
As he spoke, his neck stretched out to an unprecedented length, and his entire face seemed to want to be touched a hundred times. Before it could do anything abnormal, the God of Deception grabbed the turtle's neck and asked, "Are you sure you calculated correctly?"
The tortoise man said solemnly, "Auspicious hexagram."
The God of Fraud tapped on Ao's image again: "What is the trajectory of his fate?"
The turtle man saw in the True Spirit's dull expression that he was just as skeptical as the previous customers, yet he insisted on having his fortune told. This kind of customer, once he'd tried fortune-telling, would do it a thousand times.
The turtle man said only five words: "There is destiny before there is luck."
·
Staff dormitory.
Several other players who had finished their night shift have not returned yet, and no one knows what they were doing.
The feeding log had a hint of Ao, like a stimulant, bringing out a natural aggression in the cat's eyes. The black cat's long, slender tail was tucked tightly against its body, and every soft fur was tinged with a hint of anxiety.
If Wen Shi knew that the turtle man was so optimistic about him, he would definitely be in a dilemma.
He now has no idea how to kill Ao. The main quest is one per day. If he can't think of a good idea before midnight tomorrow night, he is afraid that he will die in the dungeon.
Ji Yuanzhi had no intention of excluding the Seven Commandments Guild Leader and the female player. Since this was a joint mission, information sharing was essential.
Everyone began to read the feeding log.
After successfully escaping the dean's office, the mosaic on the journal's surface disappeared. Based on the system prompts, they subconsciously assumed it contained information related to the monsters, such as eating habits and feeding schedules. However, as they flipped through it, they realized it was more like Ao's own mood diary.
[The economy is in recession, and everyone is complaining about the industry downturn, but my business remains unaffected and is thriving.]
I call myself the Master of Horror Piano, even though I can only play one piece. I declare that anyone who hears me play will die three days later. Oh, the public's curiosity is truly deadly. They come to me with large sums of money, even in droves.
September 12th, food collection. Breakfast was provided by three nobles, lunch was provided by two young women who had made a bet to listen to the music, and dinner was provided by five homeless people.
[February 1st, a pastor will be added to the meal.]
On March 12th, we arrived at a seaside town. The ignorant townspeople threatened to burn us to death, so we had a hearty buffet.
…
The first half of the diary can be roughly summarized as follows: Ao takes advantage of people's curiosity, brings pets and other food items to people's doorsteps, and makes a lot of money.
The system prompt sounded:
[Ao's pet: Die in the light
As long as it sees the light, it will kill you all~
Characteristics: As a mother, after being fed with enough blood and flesh, it can continuously split into new individuals.
A small lamp was placed in front of the feeding log. The black cat, relying on its size advantage, squeezed in the middle and was responsible for turning the pages. A group of players surrounded it, reading every sentence in the log word by word with the help of the light.
After turning another page, the journal's smug tone changed.
[On August 15th, I was invited to play for the Count. This is another fat sheep!]
Three days later, I brought Jianguangsi to retrieve the food, but the Count survived! Jianguangsi was severely injured on the spot. I knelt before the Count and admitted my mistake. He eventually gave me three days to create the song "Dream Bride." The Count's original words were: "If I can't feel the warmth of the bride's soul in this song, you will be chopped off and thrown into the Colosseum."
[On August 21st, I found a way to survive and exchanged my hands with a being.]
Later, the record almost returned to the beginning, and I fed it something that would kill me in the light during the intervals.
After reading the entire story, everyone's lips twitched in silence. It was unclear whether Ao was the weird one or the Count was the crazier. The president of the Seven Commandments knew nothing about the God of Trickster, but when he saw the word "exchange" at the end, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. It was like making a deal with the devil. Ao later became the dean, and the strange cross in the courtyard perfectly connected to this incident.
Pei Wenwei disappeared from the archives room for a while. Not long after, Yu Xingzhou and Li Nan successfully changed their jobs, and the path to change jobs was clear at a glance.
But this incident could no longer cause any fluctuations in his mood. The Seven Commandments President's breathing became a little rapid, and the greed in his eyes was brighter than the dim light.
Neither of them is a saint. Yu Xingzhou and Ji Yuanzhi looked at each other, lowered their heads and said a few words. Li Nan was quietly thinking about something.
Wen Shi knew what was the point that could attract the attention of several big guys at the same time. Ao mentioned in his log that every time he died and collected the corpse with Jianguang, it meant that the cause of death of the deceased had nothing to do with the pet, and the ability of that song was real.
A true super artifact might be a piece of music that has the extreme ability to curse others.
There is a bit more wise thinking in the cat's eyes, which is a good thing.
It is impossible for Ao to hand over the music score. I am afraid that some people present may have murderous intentions towards Ao.
In addition, this log gives too much information!
The president of the Seven Commandments frowned. The feeding log aroused people's greed but did not provide more useful information. He suddenly noticed that the black cat turned around gracefully and was about to leave.
He could feel all eyes on his smooth fur. He had to look up as he turned his body downwards.
He tentatively extended a paw to the left, and Ji Yuanzhi on the right coughed lightly. Wen Shi turned to the right, and Li Nan didn't play the emotional card, actively moving to let it pass.
It seems like whichever way he goes will help someone get a super artifact.
"…" Refuse to take sides, start with me.
Song Yan agreed, bravely picked up the black cat, and looked at the others with hostility.
In this atmosphere, President Seven Commandments couldn't even interrupt.
Song Yan carried the cat to the office, and then Li Nan and the others left. Standing in line was just a way to play with the cat and relax occasionally, but some things still needed to be discussed in advance.
Wen Shi returned to the sofa in the office. He had a formal position but no one to repair the door for him. The place was still in the same dilapidated state as before he left.
Li Nan and the others did not follow immediately. It was obvious that they were discussing the possible competition for the super artifact and how to distribute it in the end if they chose to cooperate.
This has nothing to do with him.
Wen Shi is devoted to Ao.
After a short rest, when the effect of the body transformation was about to disappear, a few more people appeared in the office, and it was obvious that the deal had been reached.
Before Yu Xingzhou spoke, Wen Shi waved his paws and said, "I don't want my share of the cake. Frankly speaking, no benefits can move me now, including super artifacts." After that, he actively urged, "Let's kill Ao together. I want to be the dean."
"…"
A few minutes later, the black cat transformed back into a human. No longer as lively as before, the young man leaned back on the sofa, his tone more composed. "That feeding log is quite interesting."
Yu Xingzhou used anti-eavesdropping props.
The moonlight has been very bright these days. Wen Shi's slender neck looks even whiter under the moonlight, and even the direction of the blood vessels on it can be vaguely seen.
"First of all, I don't think Ao is a person with too many emotions."
Ji Yuanzhi knew exactly what he wanted to say: "Ao kneeling before the Earl for his pet is not in line with his style."
Wen Shi nodded. "The most interesting thing about this diary is that, in this entire diary, there's not a single word mentioning Ao or his pet's weaknesses."
It even recorded that Jianguangsi had been seriously injured by the Count, but did not mention how the Count discovered and injured it.
As for the dean... For such a difficult task as killing NPCs, information can definitely be found in the dungeon. The rewards for the night shifts on the third and fourth floors tonight all point to the dean's office. It can't be a coincidence.
There must be a relationship between the two tasks.
"Ao cares so much about Yiguang's death that he's even kneeling down. Will the death of his pet have a negative impact on him?"
Wen Shi finished his speech with an almost certain tone: "Every wrong has its perpetrator. Based on my understanding of the Earl, when Ao goes to retrieve the body, he will kill Ao first."
What's the point of killing a pet? The Count is a lunatic obsessed with efficiency.
[You have successfully discovered the secret of death in the light. The current collection task completion level is 46]
The mechanical sound of the system is very positive.
Wen Shi suddenly felt something was wrong. His scalp felt numb and even goose bumps appeared on his thin skin.
This was just a clue derived from a chain of logic. Even if he were more certain, he currently lacked crucial evidence. The game couldn't be so kind as to directly confirm the correctness of his conclusion.
The next second, an ominous warning sound and a foreboding premonition arrived together.
[You have successfully triggered a special mission]
[Special Mission: Kill half of the deans
Mission content: You are worried that your secret of going to the dean's office will be discovered, and you are full of murderous intentions towards Ao. After comprehensive consideration, you decide to strike first.
Ao likes to keep a way out, just like when he was a child he always kept a spare key in another pocket. A long time ago, Ao secretly transplanted the other half of his heart into a body that would die when exposed to the light.
Please expose the murder before 7 o'clock tonight.
"…"Dog game!
Wen Shi held onto a last glimmer of hope and asked, "Did you trigger any mission?"
Ji Yuanzhi: "What?"
This rhetorical question successfully made Wen Shi depressed for two minutes.
Good, there really isn't one. He forced a hardcore smile: "The game tells me to kill anyone who sees it, and it also gives me a time limit."
Song Yan accidentally added: "Why doesn't it let you go to the sky?"
Song Yan did not complete the initial exploration mission of the dean's office, but according to the records in the feeding log, it was obvious that this man-eating monster, which dies in the light, would be difficult to deal with.
Wen Shi pressed his eyebrows.
It is impossible to cause trouble in the dean's office now. Ao might still be waiting there. After the second half of the night, he will only have less than half a day to complete the task.
Ji Yuanzhi pondered for a moment: "If the operation and coordination are proper, it is not impossible to kill him."
They now have a basic understanding of the monster. The only difficulty is how to determine the location of the monster itself.
"We need a bait." After a moment's thought, Ji Yuanzhi adjusted his glasses. "The Guild Leader's skill cooldown is almost over. He can proactively provoke the monster. As long as the Guild Leader stops time at the moment the monster attacks, we can pinpoint the monster's exact location and capture it in one fell swoop."
Li Nan estimated the success rate: "It's a good idea."
Ji Yuanzhi looked over and asked, "President, what do you think?"
Yu Xingzhou: "…"
Guess why I didn't speak?
The scene changed, Wen Shi's brows relaxed, and now it was Yu Xingzhou's turn to press his brows.
It is true that letting him be the bait is the most efficient way. This is not only for Wen Shi, but also because the death of the pet will make it easier for them to kill Ao and compete for the super artifact.
No matter from which angle, Yu Xingzhou could only nod in the end. It was his fault for not choosing the right skills.
"Let's study the details further," he said.
I didn't sleep for half the night.
From how to lure the enemy to what skills and props to use to kill the enemy in the time of stillness, Wen Shi and others were precise in almost every detail.
When it was almost dawn, the fat nurse suddenly asked them to go to the prayer room again.
Wen Shi was stunned for a moment: "Will the game suddenly start giving you tasks during the day?"
Killing the dean is a highly difficult task, and killing half of the deans will not reduce the difficulty by half.
According to their previous discussion, it felt too easy, so much so that Wen Shi always felt a little uneasy.
"It's unlikely." Yu Xingzhou said: "Stepping back, even if there are side quests, there won't be any conflict."
You can't work around the clock and have tasks around the clock. It's not a problem to solve the problem that will fail in the light according to the original plan.
Wen Shi had already reached the door of the prayer room. He was about to continue speaking, but the moment he raised his eyes, he swallowed the words back into his throat.
Ao was also in the prayer room, still furious from the break-in last night. Numerous nurses stood behind Ao. They looked similar, their expressions matching, as they coldly gazed at the players.
"Stand in two rows."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion and lined up as instructed.
The few players who had participated in the nighttime intrusion into the dean's office inevitably felt a bit guilty, believing that Ao had some way of identifying intruders. The others who hadn't participated followed the black market players late at night, and they didn't drive them away, even changing their classes right in front of them.
"Today is Saturday, and there are Friendship Days in a few days."
Ao spoke coldly, saying something unexpected: "According to hospital tradition, we have to go out for team building on our weekends. Except for those in key positions, everyone else needs to participate in this collective activity. Three nurses will be left on each of the first and second floors. The third and fourth floors are special, so half of them will be on duty..."
He looked at Wen Shi, his beard had not been cleaned for a long time, and it was sticky and stuck together in clumps. "You are the only official doctor in the hospital at the moment. You will be responsible for staying here."
Wen Shi, who was excluded, asked: "?"
You took away all the helpers who were doing the task and left me behind. Is that even human nature?
"The carriage is waiting at the door," Ao urged the others impatiently, "Hurry up, we have to get to the team building site before ten o'clock. If everything goes well, we can be back by seven o'clock in the evening."
Demand to kill Wen Shi, who died in the light, before 7 o'clock: "..."
The group your ancestors built!