CH 43.3

Jiang Yiyi takes the piece of paper, skims it, stops for a few seconds, before reading it again.

“Looks like, this is meant for me?” Jiang Yiyi is quite intrigued, “Stargaol truly does live up to the reputation.”

As expected of the background setting of a hellish survival game, vindicating quite a lot of the sad reloads the players had to do.

This file with the decoded info Black Glove obtained is allegedly something related to the bottom floor of Stargaol.

What Jian Si aptly described as the bait Stargaol used to kill three birds with one stone.

Therefore, he did not expect for the file to end up being some sort of invitation for him.

“I am writing to express my immense joy at your coming visit.”

After this jarring opening that seems quite out of place in this futuristic world, it seems to know the patience of whoever is reading is limited, and quickly switches the tone.

“You have spent far longer than I thought reaching the fourth floor. There is no doubt about your abilities; what took you so long? What was it that kept your attention? Listen to me. There is no need to care about the useless masses.”

“You are different from them. The weak know their place, and the strong should act their part. Where you should be is at the deepest reaches of Stargaol, rather than the wider world. This world is certainly boring, isn’t it? But I digress.”

It’s like the writer is doing everything they can to slap an ‘I’m deeply connected to your transmigration’ label on themselves, but Jiang Yiyi finds himself not as agitated as he thinks he would be. In fact, it even reads slightly familiar.

He is not sure if this familiarity stems from their choice of wording, or their seemingly robust understanding of him.

“And another note. It is a terrible choice to enter the sixth floor with burdens. Your loyal friend implores you, do not do what is unnecessary. This only increases the difficulty of winning the game, and is utterly antithetical to clearing Stargaol.”

With everything that is written, Jiang Yiyi thinks the best response is simply to finish reading all of it.

“Finally, my dear friend, please do finish up your work post-haste. Though time is meaningless to you, but believe me when I say, I am truly excited for the prospect to meet with you. The slow passage of time is killing me.”

“Most sincerely, an Old Friend.”

‘Old friend’? Jiang Yiyi starts working through who in his contacts can be labelled as such; it is a very small list. He didn’t really need to work through anyone, actually.

His childhood friend…

What was his name again?

Jiang Yiyi’s expression freezes up for a second as his memories sink into some lane in the abyss, swallowing everything.

“Doctor?”

Jian Si thinks for a moment, before suggesting gingerly, “our estimates so far have put the time Black Glove obtained this info around when you were just incarcerated. Therefore, unless Stargaol knew just how special Doctor was from the beginning, and designed this around you, otherwise, it is not likely to be referring to you.”

Jiang Yiyi comes back to, and he rubs his finger on the corner of the paper, then calmly refutes, “clearly, there is someone much more aware of the circumstances at play.”

Knowing exactly when Jiang Yiyi will be imprisoned, that he will be on the fourth floor, and even seems to know things Jiang Yiyi does not know.

The paper is crumpling slightly. A silvery reflection emerges between his fingers silently.

Jiang Yiyi lets go, and the thin piece of paper starts floating down gently. A blade dances elegantly on his fingertips, and the paper splits into two clean pieces.

The blade spins, and before the paper can even spread its remains around, the striking cuts have already eliminated every piece of it. The fragments form an off-season snow, showering.

The cell is quiet.

Jian Si gulps as he is now sure of one thing – Doctor appears furious.

He does not know what the info reads, but… in pure provocativeness, it has been super effective.

Lin Yi, who actually had a part in recreating the information, is silent. He knows exactly what it means, therefore he does not dare to speak all the more.

He only knows one thing – even someone like the Doctor, is but another pawn in someone else’s game.

What sort of chessboard would it take to employ Doctor as a pawn?

Jiang Yiyi has no idea Lin ‘the Spy’ Yi has once again started erring on the side of conspiracy, and has triggered his passive ability, ‘spooking himself.’

After that minute sense of frustration dissipates, Jiang Yiyi calms down quite quickly.

He’s always known this game to have something shady going on. This is simply further confirmation of that matter.

Jiang Yiyi glances at his biography panel that he’s ignored for a long time by now, pausing at the skills of Psychology (Divine) and Surgery (Divine) for several seconds each. Being the person actually putting the skills in use, he knows exactly what those two ‘Divine’ entails.

Memory manipulation, though? Not a single skill can accomplish that——Not even at Divine level.

So rather than suspect that someone has tampered with his memories, it is more sensible to suspect the game has done something to him.

The average Joe that learns incontrovertible proof of his memory being manipulated will easily succumb to countless fears——Like, if some of his memory are definitely false, how can he know what and how to believe in his memories?

This fear escalates easily, too——If his memories are unreliable, then… who is he?

How would he know if he is living in reality, and not some kind of ‘Truman’s Show Enhanced Edition’?

This places immense psychological stress on a person, who will find themselves easily doubting their sense of identity and being.

Jiang Yiyi, though, is no average Joe, because he is Jiang Yiyi.

So after the initial anger, when reason dictates him once more, Jiang Yiyi gives his memories another pass, and decides that his own past and experiences are genuine.

If something is wrong, rather than anything extra added, it is more like something is missing——Something ‘specific’ is missing.

And his ‘childhood friend’ whose only existence revolves around complaining about the game…

Jiang Yiyi smiles peacefully.

If he does want to see him that badly, then do pray that he isn’t dead before he can go.

Author’s notes: ‘It saved your life.’ ——‘It,’ refers to Lin Yi having completed Vice-Captain’s dying request.

Nianluo’s story arc ends here.

As I believe you have noticed, compared to the dying behemoth – Nianluo, the more interesting entity here is the mysterious Organisation, who brands itself as the protector of the Federation. That’s right, it is going to make an appearance in the next floor.

I tried a different method of storytelling for the fourth floor. Though Doctor’s actual appearances of pretentious bullshit was few and far between, but his presence was certainly felt on the entire fourth floor——He is truly the man behind everything.

Considering the feedback, though, I will be changing things back for the fifth floor, revealing the hook and the main plotline (What? The main plot is still not yet here?) ——No no no, of course not, because the plot is just the Doctor’s pretentious bullshit the entire time for sure——We will simply be reverting back to the old style, with Doctor’s full appearance and the bullshit the whole way, overpowering everything in turn.

So after all that is said, did I convince all of you it will be the fifth floor the next chapter?

Ha-ha-ha.

Not.

The next chapter is the actual final chapter of the fourth floor (lol)