Earth’s Redemption: Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Question and Answer Amusement Park (4)

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

Ning Buwen’s concern was shared by many present.

“The problem is, right now we have no way to tell who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. Or, it could be that some of what they say is true and some false,” Zuo Qingcang listing out the possibilities was enough to make those with slower minds dizzy.

If they were humans, they could read their micro-expressions to discern the truth, but these two were dressed in full mascot costumes. How could they tell?

Of course, there was a simple way to solve this puzzle.

They could send someone up first to answer, and if they passed, they’d know who was lying or not.

But who would want to be an obviously sacrificial test subject?

Besides, if the first person to answer failed due to other reasons, it would mean a life lost for nothing. This consequence wasn’t something most people could bear.

In other instances, maybe they could do this, but representatives from the Legions were watching outside. Even if they passed, it would hurt their chances of being chosen if they were too ruthless.

What Legion would choose someone who steps over the bodies of their comrades at crucial moments?

“Why is this so complicated?”

“Ugh, this is harder than just charging in to fight a boss.”

“No wonder all those Legion advisors I saw were bald.”

“Shh! Quiet! They might be watching from outside!”

…

“At this point, there’s no use in holding back,” Luo Xiang glanced around. “Does anyone have a special trait or item that can distinguish truths from lies? Use it now, otherwise if we die, it’s useless.”

“We’d love to have one! I’ve barely completed a few instances. How could I have one?”

“Me neither; my special trait is superhuman ability.”

“I saw a Truth Talisman once, but I couldn’t afford it.”

After going around asking, no one had a truth-verifying item. Such items were essential for passing stages, but they just hadn’t been lucky enough to bring one.

“Let’s face it; we’re all newbies,” Zuo Qingcang sighed. “Experienced players grab items like these as soon as they appear, and few are willing to sell them. I didn’t have much hope from the start. Luo Xiang, even with all the items you brought, you don’t have one either. No need to be too hard on yourself.”

Luo Xiang scratched her head, frustrated but resigned. Knowing which item could break the deadlock but not having it was hard to accept.

Seeing this, Ning Buwen knew he was the only one left who could step in.

His divination dice could come in handy.

“I do have an item we could use.” Ning Buwen opened his palm, revealing the dice. He referred to it as an item, without mentioning that it was his special personal attribute. “It can divine the risk level of a situation—the higher the number, the safer it is. But it only has three uses, and then it’s done. I was hoping to save it for the end. Since we’re only on the second or third level, at most, we can use it once. Are you all sure?”

“What? You actually have something that can gauge risk?” Mo Xiaoyou was shocked. “An item like that is at least A-Grade, even if it’s limited to three uses.”

“Yeah, it’s my ace,” Ning Buwen nodded without a hint of modesty. “I could even use it to ask if an NPC is the final boss. Testing these rabbits with it feels like overkill. But since no one else has a way to confirm the truth, I guess I’ll use it.”

“We won’t let you use something so valuable for nothing,” Luo Xiang assured him, now looking noticeably more relaxed since the dice were set on the table. With a tone only the wealthy could carry, she continued, “After we clear this, I’ll send you a sum myself. Take it; I’ve got no shortage of money.”

“This place is full of traps!” A man, hearing their analysis, could practically see stars from the complexity. “With the truth mixed in with lies and no way to tell their hidden answering conditions, we could die without even knowing why!”

“Right. If just one person tried to pass both questions, it’d be especially challenging since the rabbits’ difficulties don’t match the level. Instead, long as any one of us answers correctly, we can pass.”

In a way, Pandora was actually quite balanced.

“Right.” The Black Rabbit finally spoke. “You just used an item on us, which could count as starting the test. Do you want to begin my challenge?”

“Let’s do it, then.” Ning Buwen replied readily, “Ask away, I promise to speak the truth.”

“Not here.” The Black Rabbit led the way. “Come with me. Your companions may join too.”

Of course they wanted to watch.

Luo Xiang and the others quickly followed, with Xiao Xin tagging along as well.

Soon, the Black Rabbit brought them to the entrance of an extreme roller coaster.

This roller coaster looked intense.

With just a glance, there were over a dozen large loops, with extreme heights that could make anyone with acrophobia weak-kneed.

“In extreme conditions, it’s nearly impossible to lie, even if you want to,” the Black Rabbit said, opening the entrance.

The roller coaster pulled up in front of Ning Buwen.

“Once you’re seated, answer my questions. This ride lasts about five minutes. In that time, every answer you give must be truthful.” The Black Rabbit explained in detail, “If you say even one lie, you’ll never be able to get off the ride.”

“That’s terrifying,” a girl muttered.

Though they could go days without eating or drinking, and most of them had some food cards, meaning they could last a year or more without issues, what the Black Rabbit said, ‘never be able to get off,’ implied they’d stay on the ride till death.

To be stuck on this high-speed roller coaster indefinitely would drive anyone mad. In such a situation, self-harm might even seem like a preferable release.

“Alright.” Ning Buwen sat down, buckled all the safety belts, and said, “Let’s begin. As long as I tell the truth, I’m good. One step at a time—you all focus on figuring out how to make the White Rabbit lie.”

“Got it.” Luo Xiang nodded. “Also, be careful; the Black Rabbit will probably ask you tough questions.”

Everyone has regrets. Everyone has things they wish they’d done differently.

If the Black Rabbit asked deeply personal questions, it was very possible someone might give a false answer.

“Let’s start.” The Black Rabbit’s ears twitched, and Ning Buwen’s car started moving at breakneck speed, with no transition period.

All the others could see was the roller coaster racing through the air, twisting and darting like a race car.

Watching it was enough to make anyone feel queasy.

“Wow!” Ning Buwen couldn’t help but cheer, “This is amazing! It’s way more thrilling than any extreme coaster I’ve been on before.”

“Do you still miss your orphanage?” The Black Rabbit’s voice sounded next to his ear.

“No.”

What was there to miss?

There, to prevent crime and keep children from being negatively influenced, almost all orphanage staff were artificial robots, except for a few elderly supervisors who were too old to cause trouble.

Perfect characters, perfect service.

These robots were teachers, cooks, even playmates for the children.

Thus, most kids from the orphanage grew up cheerful and sunny.

Ning Buwen was like that, too.

But from a young age, Ning Buwen was a bit different from other kids.

At first, he liked the robotic caregivers, but as he grew older, he began to feel bored.

Compared to these eternally expressionless robots—these flawless machines—he much preferred watching real people’s emotional highs and lows in a casino.

That was what made him feel like he was human.

After leaving the orphanage, Ning Buwen never thought about it again.

It was beautiful, like a paradise, but too unreal.

“Do you regret that fateful gamble that left you in debt?” the Black Rabbit continued.

“Of course not,” Ning Buwen answered. “Losing so badly for the first time was actually pretty interesting.”

This Black Rabbit sure knew how to choose questions that would matter to most people.

She likely had some ability to see into people’s hearts.

Hmm, with someone else, there might have been a subconscious lie.

The Black Rabbit kept asking various questions about his relationships and life choices.

But Ning Buwen didn’t lie.

Three minutes had passed now.

Two more minutes, and the roller coaster would stop, allowing Ning Buwen to get off and pass the challenge.

Outside, various Legion representatives began discussing Ning Buwen’s divination dice.

“That can’t be an item. I’ve been in Pandora for three years, and most divination items here are text-based. I’ve rarely seen any with numbers.”

“If it is an item, he’s only been through one instance, and a rookie instance wouldn’t drop something like that. Besides, these kinds of items aren’t the sort most people would sell. Second Legion, isn’t that one of yours?”

“No.” The Second Legion’s representative replied without hesitation. “Who cares what it is? We’ve done a thorough check on Ning Buwen, don’t worry.”

“It’s not your security I’m worried about,” the Third Legion’s representative said. “I just think Ning Buwen might have some powerful backing. You’d best be careful. Although we Legions share a bond, those two top foreign Legions have always wanted to infiltrate us.”

The world wasn’t united on this.

Their forty-nine Legions mostly came from the same country, with the same backgrounds. Even if some members from small pre-apocalypse countries had ideas, they wouldn’t dare to act given their numbers. But abroad, things were different. The Pangu Legion was already the world’s top-ranking Legion, and the one most likely to end the apocalypse and clear Pandora. If they succeeded, disbanded, and re-established a nation, they’d undoubtedly be world leaders.

For some, this was intolerable.

“Don’t worry; I know who’s backing him,” the Second Legion representative said. “They’re absolutely reliable and can’t be bought…”

As the Second Legion representative was speaking, their instance-viewing device suddenly showed static.

“What’s going on?”

“Device malfunction?”

“Impossible. The device card isn’t showing any damage.”

…

“Wait, someone’s breached the instance.”

“Who?”

“That’s impossible; the instance is in progress. How could someone sneak in halfway?”

Many of the representatives started to panic.

If this intruder had ill intentions, they would have no choice but to watch helplessly as these newcomers met their doom.

This was undoubtedly a major provocation against the forty-nine Legions.

It was something that had never happened before.

“Don’t panic,” the First Legion representative immediately reassured everyone. “The scene is starting to return to normal. Look.”

The Second Legion representative had a vague inkling.

“Argh! I knew something was off when I got assigned this recruitment task. Since when would our commander pass up such a juicy job?” The Second Legion representative felt so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against the wall. “Weren’t you all curious about who’s backing Ning Buwen? Well, look—he’s here.”

“What?”

The snowy image gradually came into focus, showing his figure once again.

No wonder he was ranked eighth in the world.

This dramatic entrance was terrifying.

“Isn’t that the lunatic?”

Inside the instance, Ning Buwen was calmly answering questions while sitting on a roller coaster.

He was nearly finished, and a smile had begun to appear on his face.

This level wasn’t as hard as he had expected.

“One last question.” Just as the roller coaster was about to come to a stop, the Black Rabbit asked, “Who’s the person you like?”

Ning Buwen’s smile froze instantly.

Damn it, poking at the sore spot, huh?

This Black Rabbit sure had a knack for reading minds.

“Please answer the question.”

Ugh.

Ning Buwen cursed inwardly.

If this rabbit had asked a few months later, he’d have had time to rid himself of those inappropriate feelings.

Getting over someone takes time, after all.

But anyway, since Cheng Yuxue wasn’t here, there was no harm in saying it.

“It’s that Dr. Cheng I met during my first instance,” Ning Buwen replied, knowing that Legion members were listening outside. The Second Legion representative had also reminded him not to mention anything about Cheng Yuxue to avoid revealing to other Legions that this madman was stationed in the First Legion’s base.

“I knew you liked me.”

“I heard it this time.”

Turning his head, Ning Buwen saw Cheng Yuxue sitting in the empty seat next to him, holding a fruit basket in one hand, popping a cherry into his mouth with the other, and watching him with a gravity-defying posture, as if he were enjoying a show.

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