Chapter 10: Rose Manor - The Prisoner's Dilemma |
In his life outside the game, Lin Chen was considered a top student. It only took a single hint from Qi Si for him to grasp the crux of the problem.
Shen Ming, the most experienced player among them, had already met a grim fate, a stark testament to the instance's difficulty.
Once the players discovered that they couldn't clear the instance by conventional means—gathering clues, deciphering rules—they would, in their desperation to survive, be capable of committing any immoral act.
What was designed as a cooperative instance had been twisted into a competitive, hostile affair. It was no wonder Qi Si had said from the very beginning that he couldn't trust the others...
Having lived for twenty years in a society governed by the rule of law, Lin Chen still harbored a shred of unrealistic idealism.
He murmured, "But... we're all human. We could just gather our clues, try to work together against this weirdness, and figure out how to get through this together..."
"Have you heard of the prisoner's dilemma?" Qi Si asked, tapping his chin, his tone patient and guiding. "Working together to decipher the rules of this place would indeed be the best option, but the chain of suspicion is a very real factor. We can't be certain that the others don't harbor malicious intent. Whoever reveals their clues first is immediately at an informational disadvantage, and their survival hinges entirely on the goodwill—or malice—of the others."
He paused, then let out a long sigh. "No one is willing to place their fate in someone else's hands. And so, this was a no-win situation from the very beginning."
Lin Chen countered in a low voice, "But normally, people wouldn't want to hurt anyone, would they?"
"Bullying on the playground, brawls on the street, abuse in the workplace, oppression with or without bloodshed—harming others for personal gain is written in our DNA. It's *refraining* from harm that requires a reason: fear of causing trouble, fear of one's fragile body being destroyed by the group, or simply... because manipulating the rules of morality is a more convenient way to profit."
"In the real world, thanks to the restraints imposed by law enforcement, the risks of harming others usually far outweigh the potential gains. But in this game, there are no laws, and no evidence is left behind. How do you think the risk stacks up against the reward now?"
Lin Chen subconsciously followed this logic to its inevitable conclusion. He quickly realized that if the worst-case scenario unfolded and the players started killing each other, a newcomer like him would undoubtedly be one of the first victims.
His heart jolted, and he sharply raised his gaze to meet Qi Si's.
As if on cue, Qi Si lowered his gaze, a bitter smile touching his lips. "I've always detested that 'survival of the fittest' mentality. I know there's no such thing as absolute strength—even the fiercest beast has its day of exhaustion. I truly believe that peace and unity are better for everyone's survival, but now... now I just don't know who to trust anymore."
"Shen Ming was a veteran on his third instance, yet he died on the first night. Chang Xu, who shared his room, is extremely suspicious. Yezi clearly knew Shen Ming in the real world but deliberately concealed it, making her untrustworthy as well. Zou Yan is too composed, almost as if she anticipated all of this—there are too many suspicious things about her..."
As he said this, Qi Si's voice took on a weary edge. "You're the only one I can trust."
"And of course, it seems that for the time being, I'm the only one you can trust as well."
Qi Si had a deceptively mild appearance. His features were gentle, his lips pale, and he radiated an air completely devoid of aggression. Instead, he seemed calm, amiable, and easy to talk to, making one instinctively want to trust him as a friend.
After the little episode before bed last night, Lin Chen had already set aside his doubts about Qi Si's identity. It was only after hearing these words that he slowly began to realize what a precious luxury "trust" was in a game like this.
He was in a vulnerable position; trusting Qi Si was his only choice. Yet Qi Si, an experienced veteran, was apparently willing to trust a newcomer like him—and had even taken the initiative to speak so frankly to earn his trust in return...
He had offered nothing but a feeble explanation for his identity and cause of death, with no evidence to corroborate his story. Just yesterday, Qi Si hadn't seemed to believe him at all, yet now he was willing to take such a risk...
A sliver of guilt crept into Lin Chen's heart. A helpless newcomer like him—did he really deserve such trust and respect?
"I shouldn't have told you all this. My apologies." Qi Si gave a self-deprecating smile. "Talking about these things now does nothing but add to your pressure."
"For now, let's focus on figuring out the rules and clearing this instance. As long as we can decipher the backstory quickly, none of those worst-case scenarios will come to pass."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Chen nodded firmly.
Then he heard Qi Si instruct in a mild tone, "Go bring the notebooks from the room. We'll look through them in the hallway."
"Huh? Why?"
"It's more open here. Makes for an easier escape if we run into trouble."
"Oh, right!"
Watching his temporary teammate's hastily retreating back, Qi Si picked up an apple, took a bite, and chewed it slowly.
He had to admit, Lin Chen was adorably gullible.
He could make up any story, and this guy would actually believe it...
Lin Chen rushed back to Qi Si, his arms laden with notebooks, and found the other man leisurely wiping his fingers with a napkin.
He had no inkling that his status in Qi Si's mind had just been upgraded from "disposable tool" to "recyclable waste." He gasped for breath, announcing, "Qi Si, I'm back!"
Qi Si raised his eyes, asking with feigned concern, "Didn't run into any danger, did you?"
Touched, Lin Chen shook his head. "No! Thank you for your concern, Qi Si!"
"Is that so..." Qi Si slid a blade from his bracelet and held it between his fingertips, turning his back to Lin Chen. "Read the contents of the notebooks aloud to me. I'll keep watch so we can react immediately if there's any danger."
Lin Chen nodded and began to read, enunciating each word with care.
...
[My chest decays]
[My flesh spreads upon the ground]
[Here, the roses make their home] [With me, they'll live for all tomorrows]
...
[They say she is the most beautiful girl, and she is. So much more beautiful than me. I believe she will be the most perfect girl in the world. She will be. I need her to be.]
...
[Why does she never look at me? Why are her beautiful eyes always filled with tears? Why, when he has someone so beautiful, does he not guard this treasure carefully?]
[I won't let her see him again. All it takes is a gentle nudge of the hands on the clock to change time...]
...
[She is withering away, the doctors say. It's because of a broken heart. She's grieving for that wretched man! That bastard should go to hell!]
[No, she would never think that. She is so much kinder than I am...]
...
[Everyone thinks I'm the one who survived. But I'm not. My sister is the one who lived. I'm the one who died of illness.]
...
[We both survived. She is still withering, but there is still a way... I will love her forever, and I will cherish her perfection more than she ever could herself.]
...
Lin Chen's voice remained steady, and he apparently encountered nothing supernatural from start to finish—a stark contrast to what had happened when Qi Si opened the notebooks the night before.
Suspicious, Qi Si turned and leaned closer, glancing at the open notebook. His vision was instantly flooded with layers of black smoke, thick enough to almost obscure his sight. Within it, the faint shadows of blood-red vines seemed to sway and grow, only to scatter into a pool of crimson light.
The bizarre vision lasted only a moment, like a hallucination. As his vision settled and cleared, Qi Si saw the English handwriting on the yellowed pages squirming like earthworms, creating a strange, textual uncanny valley effect.
The only truly legible parts were the four-line poem on the flyleaf and the five diary entries, which were instantly translated and displayed on his system interface the moment he looked at them.
Was the danger targeted at specific people, or was it time-sensitive, disappearing after a while?
Qi Si stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"There's no beginning or end to it. I have no idea what it's talking about," Lin Chen commented, completely unaware of what Qi Si was focused on.
Recalling some of the melodramatic stories he'd read online, he rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "It sounds like a tragic tale of unrequited love. It feels so... morbid and twisted."
Qi Si clicked his tongue. "No sane person keeps a diary."
Lin Chen perked up his ears, ready to hear the expert's explanation, but Qi Si had already changed the topic. "There are large gaps in the record. There must be more clues in the other players' rooms."
"So what's our plan?" Lin Chen asked. Are we supposed to just take their clues? he wondered.
Qi Si glanced up at the damp ceiling. "We're going to check the third floor."
"Oh... what?"
"It's not wise to clash with the other players this early on. The only locations left for us to explore are the garden and the third floor, and I'm choosing the third floor," Qi Si said, his voice even as he turned his head to look at Lin Chen.
"By now, they still haven't come upstairs. It's not like they ordered a second breakfast. I'm guessing they've all gone to the garden. After all, what the butler said last night implied that exploring the garden during the daytime is relatively safe."
"In contrast, the third floor is a known risk and wouldn't be anyone's first choice. That means there will be plenty of fresh clues left for us."
Lin Chen shook his head vigorously. "But... but if Miss Anna discovers us, we're dead..."
Qi Si patted Lin Chen's shoulder reassuringly. "Well, then we just won't get caught."
"And how are we supposed to not get caught?" Lin Chen cried, his face twisted in despair. "Miss Anna appears and disappears like a ghost. Who knows when she'll suddenly decide to check upstairs..."
"You go upstairs to investigate. I'll go meet with Miss Anna and see if I can distract her or keep her occupied."
The moment he heard "go upstairs to investigate," the color drained from Lin Chen's face, and he reflexively wanted to refuse.
But then, he heard what Qi Si planned to do himself.
To proactively seek out Miss Anna and stall for time... that was undoubtedly the far more dangerous and difficult task.
"The trust between us is our advantage over the other players. While they're cowering and hesitating, we are the only ones who can work together and plan an exploration of the third floor. And if we don't go up there, how will we ever find all the clues and clear this instance?"
Qi Si sighed and added apologetically, "I probably can't stall her for long. Prioritize scouting the area and determining if there are any other NPCs on the third floor. It would be best to get more information, but if you can't, then let it go."
Lin Chen listened with his head hung low, ashamed of his momentary hesitation.
Qi Si was taking on the greater responsibility, while all he had to do was a simple search that might not even contribute to clearing the instance...
He had always considered himself responsible and brave. How could he become so timid and fearful, like a turtle retreating into its shell, as soon as he entered this strange game?
With that thought, Lin Chen's hesitation evaporated. He clenched his fists and said, "I... I'll do my best!"
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