Despair

Although Jia Wen opened the door for them, he showed no intention of going in with them.

Ga~

As the four stepped into the mansion, the main door behind them immediately closed.

The interior was not as luxurious as expected; instead, it appeared cluttered and outdated.

There are no lights.

There were no candles either.

The entire room's light comes from the self-illuminating paint.

Large amounts of yellow and green paint were used to paint question marks throughout the room, from small table legs to the ceiling.

There were also no guides or directions.

It seems we need to find Mr. Question Mark ourselves.

Currently, you can choose to go to the entrance passages on both sides, or you can go up to the second floor via the stairs.

Looking at the scene before him, the class monitor said softly, "Mr. Question Mark really loves playing games... If there were other big shots in City of Sin, question marks would probably float in the sky above the entire city, and he would turn it into a game city."

Gaming is a menace; by the time you realize it, you've already been infected.

My purpose is different from yours. Luo Di, you're going to receive an award, while I have other matters to discuss with Mr. Question Mark. Let's part ways here for now, and see you at the door after this is all over.

The class monitor had personally participated in the challenge game and had a certain understanding of question marks.

She walked towards the left-hand entrance hall with the most green question marks, raising her arm above her shoulder to say goodbye to everyone.

Hua Yuan and Yu Lu had not participated in the final challenge, nor had they officially met Mr. Question Mark, so they were unable to make a correct judgment about the situation before them.

Luo Di, however, pointed directly to another direction: upwards.

"Let's go upstairs."

The surface of the stairs was also covered with question marks painted on it.

The scene before the three of them changed as they stepped onto the stairs.

What used to appear to be only twenty or so steps now seems to extend indefinitely.

"I'll go first, you all follow me. Yu Lu, you'd better not drift around here..."

Luo Di meant to make the other person walk on the ground, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a touch on his back and a cold human backpack was hung up on him.

Hua Yuan could only force a smile and follow behind.

Luo Di didn't pay much attention; he had already entered the decryption phase.

The question marks on the steps may look the same, but there are subtle differences. You must step on the correct question mark each time you go up a step.

After correctly navigating the twenty steps, the seemingly endless staircase disappears, replaced by a straight passageway with only a door marked with a yellow question mark at the end.

Luo Di remained very cautious, treating the meeting and award ceremony as a game.

Carrying a schoolbag,

She took Hua Yuan's hand and led her through the passage.

Even the slightest lapse in concentration could cause the team to get separated or lost.

Luo Di's body structure underwent a certain degree of change; his tentacles coalesced between his eyeballs, turning his pupils into gray question mark structures.

Instead of heading towards the innermost room, they suddenly turned left halfway through.

Use gray liquid to draw a question mark structure of fixed proportion and correct orientation on an empty wall.

When the dot below the question mark is highlighted, the wall immediately transforms into a door, and the lock automatically unlocks.

A room filled with various blackboards, each covered with game puzzles, is revealed. Mr. Question Mark with the sack head is performing some kind of mathematical calculation on one of the blackboards.

"4 minutes and 27 seconds, pass... It seems you did indeed decipher the basic meaning of the question mark in the final level, rather than passing it through trial and error."

To be able to do this much so soon after sprouting, your brain is quite impressive.

Would you like to stay with me?

Upon hearing this, both Yu Lu on his back and Hua Yuan behind him trembled slightly and became serious.

Luo Di, without a moment's hesitation, gave his answer:

"I'm sorry, the sorority saved me."

I felt a slight nip at my tailbone as soon as I finished giving my answer.

Hua Yuan was staring intently, giving various signals through his eyes.

Although she really wanted Luo Di to stay in the sorority, she thought it would be better to seize this opportunity.

Working under Mr. Question Mark offers greater security and potential for growth.

Luo Di has already given his answer, and there's no going back.

"Hmm~ The reward is on the table. Do you want to take it with you? Or should I help you install it?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Question Mark."

"Wait a moment, I'm still designing the puzzle for the next big challenge. You can get a feel for this planter first; getting used to it beforehand will help with the integration later."

"Good."

Luo Di naturally turned his gaze to the black plant pot on the table.

Suddenly he smelled a stench, a very foul odor.

It's different from the odors you encounter in daily life.

This stench is an old, lingering odor.

Like an unidentified corpse sunk to the bottom of a river,

This sinking has lasted for over a century.

When the entire canal dried up completely, the corpse still lay at the bottom, but the corpse itself had been completely mixed with filth. All the filth of the river had settled between the rotting flesh and fermented within the body.

When the body was retrieved and brought back for autopsy, the smell emanating from its open mouth was similar to what we smell now.

It is a stench that has accumulated over many years, a putrid smell that has settled, and an aura of death.

at the same time,

Luo Di also noticed a unique structure: a human face relief.

As one of the earliest participants, he saw a structure resembling a human face faintly visible on the surface of the planter. The dark surface of the planter truly contained a human face structure with closed eyes and lips, creating an indescribable eeriness.

The inside of the planter is filled with soil, and the scent comes from it.

For some reason,

Luo Di had a strong urge to touch the planter, even though he had already replenished the basic nutrients in the Hot Spring.

However, this was originally his property.

Even though the Old Spine was trembling slightly, sending a dangerous warning, Luo Di's True Self Consciousness selectively ignored it and subconsciously reached out his hand.

Hua Yuan was about to step forward to stop him.

Yu Lu, who was on Luo Di's back, waved her hand to stop him. In her opinion, this touch was dangerous, but it was also an opportunity, or rather, the installation of the planters had already begun.

The moment Luo Di's fingers touched the surface of the planter, the sleeping or dead face suddenly opened its eyes and mouth.

This is an expression called "despair".

The dark soil inside the pot began to stir, and tiny, desperate human faces emerged from the soil, spreading outwards.

Faces began to sprout from the desktop, followed by the floor, then the walls and ceiling...

It encroaches on space, covering up Mr. Question Mark's office.

Buzz!

After a ringing in my ears.

Luo Di was now in a completely unknown, dark dungeon where the soil, stone pillars, and walls all emitted a similar stench.

One after another, reliefs of desperate human faces will appear.

"Here it is..."

Luo Di had the butcher's knife in his hand, constantly on guard against any potential danger.

However, nothing appeared in the darkness. Instead, the cell door suddenly opened, and a strong stench wafted out.

Luo Di entered the cell.

There were no monsters inside, but a skeleton-like "person" chained up, its fate unknown.

For some reason, Luo Di felt that the person in front of him was somewhat familiar.

He carefully used the butcher's knife to brush aside the other person's long, drooping hair, only to find that the other person's eyes had long been eaten away by insects, and the entire face was almost indistinguishable from a skeleton.

The mouth is open in an "O" shape.

The dark mouth seemed to be trying to convey some kind of message, but Luo Di couldn't hear anything.

This single action was enough to exhaust the last bit of life in the mummified corpse, causing it to die in despair.

His body blended into the wall, leaving only his desperate face on the surface.

The cell seemed to sense the arrival of new members, and one after another, distorted faces appeared.

Crying, shouting, screaming.

Then, iron chains emerged from the mouths of these faces, binding Luo Di and forcibly restraining him against the wall, in the same spot as the mummified corpse.

All his abilities were hidden, and he became an ordinary person.

No matter how much they screamed or struggled, they could not escape.

Luo Di was thus bound here.

One day, one month, one year... Strangely, he did not starve to death.

He simply became weak and emaciated.

To sink into despair.

Until one day, the prison cell door finally opened.

A young man who looked just like him used a knife to brush his hair aside.

Luo Di mustered his last breath, trying to make "himself" escape, but his decaying mouth could not utter a sound.

Despair builds.

Completely dead.

Luo Di's body was gradually incorporated into the dungeon, becoming part of it.

Buzz!

My eyes snapped open, everything returned to normal, and I was back in my office.

The yellow question mark pasted on the top of the bag was right in front of me.

Luo Di quickly touched his body; everything was still intact, in fact, in excellent condition. He wasn't shriveled or dead at all.

It felt like countless years had passed, but in reality, only half an hour had gone by.

"The planters are installed. Go back and check them yourself... How was the dungeon?"

"Good."

"Your adaptability is indeed very strong. Most people would have gone insane long ago and would probably need several months to treat their mental illness. No wonder Mr. Kraft chose you."

I hope there will be an even bigger surprise when I see you next time.

"Thank you, Mr. Question Mark."

Goodbye, humans.

"Wait a minute~ there's one more thing I want to ask you, about my tongue."

As he spoke, Luo Di stuck out his tongue, which still bore the sealed question mark structure.