Repeating the Same Trick

Wen Xishu stepped forward. He had no intention of actually purifying the music box.

At that moment, Zheng Zai suddenly spoke up:

"I'll go."

Among those present, there were two honest people.

One was Mendemuer, and the other was Zheng Zai. In Wen Xishu's eyes, Zheng Zai was genuinely honest.

But Mendemuer still needed to be watched.

Kane had been very domineering from the start, proposing that whoever had committed the worse crime should be the captain. After all, some prisons had a saying like that: whoever had committed the more heinous crime was the boss.

Both Mendemuer and Kane had landed here because of women, but Wen Xishu felt that Mendemuer seemed far too cowardly. He did not dislike cowardly people, but he hated people who pretended to be weak in order to strike when least expected.

Zheng Zai, on the other hand, was honestly straightforward.

As Zheng Zai spoke, he had already started walking. Wen Xishu's analysis seemed very reasonable to him as well.

The reason he had hesitated for a while was that he did not want to leave too early.

His background meant that he needed a great deal of merit to receive the treatment of an ordinary person.

So Zheng Zai wanted to stay until the very end and achieve the highest possible Completion Level.

Only then could he possibly regain his honor. Only then could he possibly shake off the negative impact brought by his father—and receive treatment.

But Zheng Zai truly believed Wen Xishu's words and felt grateful for them.

After his bizarre habit of eating human flesh had been exposed, someone was still willing to treat him so well. Zheng Zai was willing to take risks for someone like that.

Zheng Zai said:

"Climbing such a tall bookshelf should be difficult for all of you, but I can do it."

"If I die, I won't blame anyone. Brother Wen's analysis makes a lot of sense, but if it turns out to be wrong, don't blame him either."

"If I survive and prove that Brother Wen was right, then I want to take him back with me."

Wen Xishu was not particularly moved, but Zheng Zai's words made him think of Jack.

Jack from the Desire Tower. After finding someone who had broken in illegally, his first reaction had been to ask whether they needed help.

For some reason, Wen Xishu had a feeling...

Zheng Zai might not undergo the same change as Jack, but he was likely standing at a turning point that could drastically alter his personality.

If, at this moment—

No one cared about him, and no one paid him any attention.

Zheng Zai was about to sprint forward, but Kane suddenly stepped out as well. He realized that if he did not make a decision now, he might not be able to return!

Everyone who came to the Strange Tower wanted to change their fate, hoping to become famous in the Bunker like Wen Xishu, the Bunker's new legend.

But the prerequisite for changing one's fate was staying alive.

After seeing those strange tentacles, Kane had become afraid. He only wanted to make it back alive, even if he only received the lowest Completion Level.

Kane said anxiously:

"I'll go! Don't fight me for it!"

This was exactly the outcome Wen Xishu wanted. He had originally intended to stop Zheng Zai. On his list of teammates to sacrifice, Zheng Zai currently ranked last.

If Zheng Zai performed well enough, Wen Xishu might even remove him from the list.

"Brother Zheng, it wouldn't be bad if you went to purify the box, but since Kane wants to go, let him have the chance. I think you don't actually want to settle for the rewards of a low Completion Level, right?"

Wen Xishu had grasped everyone's mindset perfectly.

Sure enough, Zheng Zai stopped.

It was not easy for Kane to climb the bookshelf, at least not with the ease Zheng Zai had shown, like a wildcat climbing a tree.

But as a criminal bold enough to take a gamble in the Strange Tower, Kane's physical condition was unquestionable. Though slow, he could use the books to climb upward bit by bit.

A few minutes later, panting heavily, he finally reached the top of the enormous bookshelf.

Up close, he could see the intricate construction of the music box.

Wen Xishu guessed that the story here was about a girl who had suffered some unspeakable things at the hands of a beast.

Four rooms, four stories. Only when pieced together would they form the "birdcage."

But he still had not figured out what exactly the music box was for.

Just as he was thinking Kane was about to purify the music box, and Kane himself was thinking that he could finally leave this hellhole—

The music box suddenly began playing again, its youthful, energetic tune from recess ringing out once more.

Kane froze. He clearly had not touched the music box, nor had he chosen to purify anything.

At the same time, no one else in the room had chosen to do so either.

This sudden change made Kane curse under his breath. He could only speed up and rush toward the music box.

But he was still too slow.

Black smoke appeared everywhere—in the center of the room, on the bookshelves, beneath the fluorescent lights, on the desks, on the office desk, near the stool legs...

That monster was about to appear.

Good child, good child! You really are my good child! As long as you obediently listen, your grades will definitely be excellent!

That greasy, nauseating voice rang out again.

Wen Xishu looked around and swiftly chose to run to the bookshelf, hiding in the gaps between the books.

By then, Park Mihee had already decided to follow Wen Xishu. Whatever Wen Xishu did, she would do the same.

Mendemuer and Zheng Zai followed suit as well, rushing toward the bookshelf to hide.

Only Kane, who had already climbed to the top of the bookshelf... had no time to escape.

He was discovered.

Twisted, slick, writhing tentacles shot toward Kane in an instant, moving too fast for any human to react.

As Kane's flesh was pierced, the black smoke around him continuously converged.

It was as if it had been drawn to his flesh and blood.

Kane's seven orifices—or rather, every somewhat larger opening on his upper and lower body—were filled and pierced through by tentacles.

Kane died even more miserably than Sita, without even having time to scream.

The monsters he encountered were several times more numerous than Sita's.

His hand struggled desperately to touch the music box, but unfortunately, he died atop the bookshelf before he could reach it.

No one saw this scene. They only saw blood dripping down from the top of the bookshelf.

Hidden among the gaps between books on the bottom shelf, everyone looked at one another. Wen Xishu did the same, putting on an expression of surprise.

He had come here to kill people in the first place.

The second person who deserved to die was Kane.

The youthful, energetic music ended. Mendemuer and Park Mihee both looked at Wen Xishu questioningly.

Wen Xishu pretended to be frightened.

"This is bad... I didn't expect it to turn out like this. We have to hurry!"

"If none of you go, then I'll go."

Once the music ended, it meant that the monsters hidden in the black smoke had vanished as well.

At that moment, Wen Xishu began climbing, pretending to be terrified.

Park Mihee hurriedly said:

"Wen Xishu, what exactly happened? You have to tell us!"

She was truly scared out of her wits.

Wen Xishu said:

"It's an anti-idling mechanism! Not only are the four doors constantly closing in, but the room itself has an anti-idling mechanism. If we waste time and don't purify the items..."

"It will trigger the mechanism. Monsters will appear over a wide area, and they may appear in places where we were before. That will make our available space smaller and smaller!"

"We have to purify them quickly! Kane was too slow just now! He shouldn't have hesitated and dallied around for so long earlier!"

"This room has an anti-idling check every so often!"

It was a reasonable analysis, and now everyone understood. Why had Kane's attempt to purify an item caused monsters to appear over a wide area in so many different places? While Sita had only drawn out the monster inside the item?

So Kane had not even had time to purify anything. The monsters that had just appeared were the result of another mechanism!

They had to race against time!

Seeing Wen Xishu climbing so slowly, Park Mihee and Mendemuer could no longer sit still!

Mendemuer stopped pretending as well:

"Sorry! I want to live!"

He actually grabbed Wen Xishu's leg and dragged him down.

The smile at the corner of Wen Xishu's mouth nearly broke through.

"Then you can be the next one to die."