novelraw Chapter 190: The Return of the Monsters and the Little Girl
Chapter 190: The Return of the Monsters and the Little Girl
"Unity, wisdom, strength."
"You have proven your merits."
"But now, you lack something crucial."
"Trust."
The narrator's low voice echoed slowly through the room.
"Investigators are individuals, yet we are also a collective. We strive for freedom, but we help one another. Nothing is more important than completing the mission—except for your comrades."
"You will meet comrades in ruins and in strange lands. Acting alone is courting disaster, yet a temporary alliance between two strangers cannot be founded on absolute trust."
"Therefore, in this final stage, your test is 'trust'."
"Learn to trust your comrades, even those you have never met before."
As the voice faded, the wooden door leading to the final stage creaked open, unleashing a torrent of thick darkness."Once someone enters, the door will automatically close until that person has made their choice."
"I'll go first!" Owen suddenly exclaimed, stepping in front of Doma.
"I'll go in first and assess the situation."
Owen left the next part unspoken: *If I can, I'll try to pass information back to you.*
He hurried into the dark doorway. An instant later, the door swung shut, and silence descended.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
In the pitch-black darkness, Owen couldn't suppress his fear of the unknown, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Trust... I have to trust my comrades, trust the investigators...
Owen tried to master his fear.
One second... three seconds... five seconds...
The impenetrable darkness lasted for a good ten seconds. Just as fear began to overwhelm him and he was about to turn back, a ray of light pierced the gloom.
His surroundings gradually brightened, like a person slowly opening their eyes upon waking.
A ceiling lamp cast a dim glow, and a sliver of cold light seeped through a narrow window. The lounge area was empty, save for an Alliance employee behind the counter.
He was back in the main hall.
The door behind him was just one of many identical wooden doors lining the left wall.
"Before you are four monsters and a little girl."
Owen looked in the indicated direction. On the wall beneath the window hung five life-sized portraits.
The first depicted a monster that resembled a grassy bush, the second a colossal beast, the third a distorted phantom, the fourth a miserable-looking little girl clutching a doll, and the fifth a fish-like humanoid monster wielding a trident.
The four monsters surrounded the girl, a terrifying tableau.
"You have good news and bad news. The bad news is you only have time to kill one of them. The good news is your comrades will be here soon. Now, choose the monster you wish to kill."
So that's how it is!
Analyze our comrades' traits, trust one another, and between the five of us, we'll successfully eliminate all four monsters!
Owen’s gaze swept over the four monsters. Doma would most likely come out next, and given her personality, she would charge at the biggest, most ferocious monster.
Owen focused on the second portrait, the colossal monster, and mentally marked it as "Doma's."
Frank would be third. That simpleton would choose to trust his comrades without a second thought, so he'd probably attack the third monster in the sequence.
That left Daniel and Lu Li for fourth and fifth. They were quiet but both were sharp. They would most likely analyze his choice and Doma's, then attack the remaining two monsters...
Surprisingly simple...
With this in mind, Owen announced confidently, "I'll attack the first monster."
"Now, please wait in the lounge."
Was that all? Puzzled, Owen returned to the lounge and sat down. Soon, he saw a second figure emerge from the door, but it wasn't Doma.
"Before you are four monsters and a little girl."
Owen faintly heard the narrator's voice. He saw Frank glance around, spot him in the lounge, and give him a wave.
*Why did that simpleton come out...* Owen's confidence faltered; this wasn't part of his plan.
A short distance away, Frank calmly listened to the narrator, then shouted without hesitation, "I'll take the second monster!"
"I knew it..." Owen sighed.
In a way, Frank had done the right thing by choosing the second monster—it was indeed the most logical choice. But Frank had overlooked one crucial detail: a battle-hungry Doma was still waiting behind that door.
Having made his choice, Frank headed toward the lounge. Seeing Owen's frowning face, he looked a little surprised and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"Where's Doma?" Owen asked instead of answering.
"She wanted to carry out the body of the wooden gnome puppet, but the proctor wouldn't allow it, so I came out first."
How could I have predicted that...
Owen sighed again and told Frank, "You shouldn't have attacked the second monster. I left that one for Doma."
Owen briefly explained his reasoning to Frank, then looked toward the door as it opened once more, revealing the next figure.
"There's still a chance. Two monsters and two... or maybe just one person left."
Just as Owen had feared, Doma did indeed choose the second target, the colossal monster.
Two monsters and two people remained.
The fourth person to emerge from the trial room was Daniel. After standing still for half a minute, listening to the narrator's explanation, he chose the third monster—the distorted phantom.
That left Lu Li and the fish-like humanoid monster with the trident.
"Lu Li won't let us down... probably."
Owen didn't hold out much hope.
Of course, he wasn't underestimating Lu Li, but he couldn't see a single reason why Lu Li would attack the fourth monster.
A one-in-four chance; all they could do was rely on luck...
"Before you are four monsters and a little girl."
As the narrator's voice drifted over, Owen and Frank watched Lu Li tensely.
"You have good news and bad news. The bad news is you only have time to kill one of them. The good news is that your comrades have already killed one or more monsters before you."
"You cannot be certain what your comrades have done; a heavy burden of responsibility rests on your shoulders. Now, choose your target."
Lu Li’s gaze shifted from the four people in the lounge to the portraits on the opposite wall.
"I'll attack the fourth one," Lu Li's calm voice announced.
In the quiet hall, his statement was loud enough to be heard clearly in the lounge.
Owen instinctively clenched his fists and exclaimed with joy, "We did it!"
"Great job, Lu Li!" Frank shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.
"You wish to attack the target in the last portrait?" the narrator clarified.
Lu Li frowned and replied, "No. The little girl in the fourth portrait."
The triumphant Frank and Owen froze on the spot.