Chapter 14

On the way to the next room, Feng Bujue discovered something encouraging: the [Mechanics] category in his expertise levels had been unlocked, now at F rank. He wasn't sure if it was due to fiddling with the Walkman or folding the newspaper, but it was good that it was unlocked. If the skill reward for completing the level was [Mechanics] or [General], he should be able to learn it directly.

A few minutes later, he finally arrived at another red-marked door, and this time he pushed it open and entered.

The room wasn't large, with two televisions placed against the wall. In the center of the room was a table, and on it lay a key. In the corner to the right was a vertical pipe protruding from the ground by about a meter. Feng Bujue walked over and examined it; the diameter was just right to fit a tennis ball.

This time, he didn't touch anything, and the door behind him closed on its own. At the same time, one of the televisions turned on, showing the image of the white-faced doll.

"Hello, Arthur. Perhaps you think the game is almost over, or that you will soon be able to leave here alive. But please ask yourself, do you really have the right to do so? Can a moment of kindness and a brief moment of pain change your false nature?

We both know that you have not yet achieved true redemption."

Feng Bujue didn't speak. He felt something was off about these words. The "moment of kindness" and "brief moment of pain" likely referred to his choices in the previous two rooms. This suggested that the video might have been recorded just a few minutes ago, or perhaps... it was a live broadcast.

The screen of the second television suddenly lit up, and Feng Bujue saw an unbelievable scene. The television showed Wang Tan. In the video, Wang Tan was walking down a corridor, clearly injured, with bloodstains on his body and a strange gait.

"Rolling in the world of fame and fortune has made you acquaintances with many small-minded people who call you brother. I believe that even if they learn of your disappearance or death, they will not care. But... Arthur, you have one friend, a true friend," the doll said. "John is also playing a game, but his end is a dead end. The only thing that can save him, and also help you leave here, is the key on the table.

You can use it to open the final door, or you can throw it into the pipe in the corner to send it to John.

There is only one key. If the despicable and hypocritical Arthur Siger chooses to die, then the kind and upright John can survive.

Life and death, make your choice."

Feng Bujue stared at the television for a full two minutes. He was trying to figure out what was happening with Wang Tan in the second television. Was this just a false image generated within his own script, or was he really seeing Wang Tan from another single-player survival mode script? If the latter, the system was incredibly sophisticated, allowing the scripts of two different players to overlap at a certain point.

He thought: It seems I'll have to ask Xiao Tan about this after the script ends. For now, I can only speculate and can't verify it.

At this moment, Feng Bujue couldn't help but admire the brilliance of the script. Arthur, as depicted, was not a good person, and the previous two levels were not enough to change that. But those were just the setup.

According to the plot, this final choice was the key. If Arthur sacrificed John to save himself, he would be plagued by guilt for the rest of his life, living in pain. His selfishness and hypocrisy would be magnified, tormenting his mind. Arthur would eventually go to the other extreme, becoming a radical altruist and a true philanthropist, to ease his conscience.

This was the so-called "redemption," making the player understand respect and cherish life, and be grateful for the rest of their life after the trial.

The other scenario was if Arthur chose to die, allowing his friend John to live. That would be a sacrificial redemption.

Feng Bujue shrugged, walked to the table, picked up the key, and looked at the final closed door, muttering to himself, "So, my script ends in failure..." He walked to the pipe, didn't think much, and threw the key in.

Subsequently, the screen of the second television turned off, and the doll in the first television spoke again, "An admirable choice, Arthur. Don't worry, death is the elevation of the soul." It seemed this wasn't a recording.

"That door..." Feng Bujue turned and pointed at the door, "leads to a dead end."

The doll's neck turned slightly, but it didn't respond.

"Your choice of words is very interesting... and precise. I almost fell for it," Feng Bujue said. "The thing that can 'save him' is also the thing that can help me 'leave here.'" He smiled, "If I use the key to open the door, I will die instead, right?"

The doll remained silent.

"You said I 'can use it to open the final door,' but you didn't say that I would live after opening it. I would only 'leave' instead," Feng Bujue said. "The key hint is... 'If the despicable and hypocritical Arthur Siger chooses to die, the kind and upright John can survive.' I thought about it for a few seconds and realized it doesn't conflict. Now, John has the key and can survive, while the 'despicable and hypocritical' Arthur is dead.

Standing here is the Arthur Siger who would sacrifice himself for a friend, who has passed the trial, an 'admirable' person whose 'soul has been elevated.' Am I right?"

The doll finally spoke, "Very impressive, you have seen through the game's rules, but this makes me question the result of the trial."

"Are you really just a set of script data generated by the system?" Feng Bujue squinted and walked to the television. "Or is my choice not a predetermined logical conclusion for you? Is it important whether I pass based on conscience or cunning?" He squatted in front of the television, using the same tone as in the recording, lowering his voice, "The final choice in this script is not between life and death. It's a game about the id, ego, and superego.

If I put myself in the mindset of 'Arthur Siger,' I would choose with the id's consciousness. The despicable journalist would undoubtedly abandon others to save himself, using the key to open the door, and die.

If I approach the problem with a 'player's' mindset, using the ego's consciousness, for a player in Horror Park, this is just a script. The choice is simple: pass the level or game over. I would still use the key to open the door and die.

Only a player who objectively embodies the subjective character, 'a player fully immersed in the role of Arthur Siger,' can make a decision with the superego's consciousness. Even without seeing through your trick, I would choose to throw the key into the pipe, because that is the perfect interpretation of the script.

And then, you would give me a surprising ending, right?"

The television screen suddenly went black, as if the doll had forcibly stopped the conversation. Immediately, the familiar, emotionless system voice sounded in Feng Bujue's ears:

[You have completed the script. Automatic teleportation in 60 seconds.]