Deduction Game at Differentiation Level Becomes Dangerously Difficult

This simulated world is an illusion; after Yu Xing regains all her memories, everything becomes meaningless.

Both the people and the scenery disappeared along with the memories after the Water Ghost Shiwei scattered.

Holding the dagger, Yu Xing retraced the path he had taken in this deduction. When he passed through the large village, he discovered that all the villagers had disappeared.

Like the desolate landscape of the village, the houses were old and dilapidated, as if they had collapsed from within in an instant and fallen into the irretrievable dust.

The entire mountain seemed to have returned to its state after the floodwaters receded.

Yi Qing quickly convinced himself to accept the fact that he had been tricked. He seemed to be in a good mood, but his drooping bangs and the sudden increase in hair volume still showed his resentment.

"Yu Xing, is your ability to copy the power of other ghosts?"

"Yu Xing, you couldn't control yourself back then, but how are you controlling yourself now?"

"How did you weaken yourself? In my experience, unless you used some special methods, even the natural dissipation of power couldn't have made you regress to your current level."

"By the way, did you really never come back? I heard that this Yugi originated from your heart. If you hadn't come back to see it, how would you know what this place looks like more than ten years after the flood?" The blue -Sheqing Ghost, who should have been floating gracefully in the air, now materialized as if in a fit of pique and walked beside Yu Xing, relentlessly making noise when Yu Xing just wanted some peace and quiet.

Yu Xing: "..."

I really want to fight this ghost, but I can't beat it right now.

The system had just reminded him that there were still twenty minutes left before he could leave the current simulation, so he decided to go back to Old Zhang to take another look. But then, why did Yi Qing start babbling on and on?

"Heh, since I've fallen for you, shouldn't I get to know you better?" Yi Qing was clearly aware of Yu Xing's impatience. He smiled as if he were an innocent, pitiful victim who was enduring his grievances, making it hard to scold him.

Yu Xing was clearly not among the "humans." After spending a few days with Yi Qing, he had come to understand him somewhat. He was just a seemingly elegant old man who was actually shameless and brazen.

"You'll understand as you go along, it'll be the same."

When he arrived at Old Zhang's house, Yiqing raised a new question, "When you noticed the mold in the grooves and the bloodstains on the other half of the house, you already knew it was a sign of flooding, right?"

This time, Yu Xing didn't ignore him. She reached out and touched the dust-covered wall, nodding slightly. "Hmm. The direction the furniture in the house is tilted matches the watermarks, but I didn't have time to think about why the village, which was inhabited before, was deserted and flooded when I woke up."

Yi Qing nodded leisurely, not opening the fan in her hand, but simply weighing it in her palm. "I see. Then..."

"I think now is the time for me to calm down and collect my thoughts. What if I get upset and put the dagger away, preventing you from leaving, if you keep asking questions? What if I don't ask and then put it away instead?" Yu Xing threatened.

"One last question, okay?" Yi Qing wasn't afraid of being intimidated, and her tone remained leisurely.

Yu Xing looked at the composed Yi Qing, a sly smile appearing at the corner of her eye, "Speak."

"The ghost story you told that child, the story of the old woman and the old lady, you didn't finish it, did you?" Despite being a ghost himself, the Sheqing Ghost was inexplicably interested in ghost stories told by humans. "I want to hear the rest. If you hadn't scared that child away, what would the story have been like?"

I still remember that.

Yu Xing chuckled and checked the system time; there was one minute left on the countdown.

Alright, that's enough. Let's just consider it a good deed and finish the story.

The old woman stared at the woman menacingly, stretching out her hands. In the dim moonlight, the woman saw the old woman's withered fingers. Though somewhat unsettling, the fact that the old woman had hands brought a heavy sigh of relief to the woman. She told the old woman the direction of the village again, then returned home.

Yi Qing's clear black and white eyes were fixed on Yu Xing, as if anticipating what would happen next.

The woman returned home and told her husband the result. He was relieved and prepared to have dinner with her. Just then, as the woman turned around, her husband noticed that she had vanished without a trace.

After speaking, Yu Xing fell silent.

"That's all?" Yi Qing was stunned.

"That's all," Yu Xing said calmly.

Yi Qing curled her lip. "... So, you human ghost stories have to be so terrifying upon closer inspection, when in fact they're just using plot twists?"

"Maybe. I don't know when I heard it. Maybe humans just crave the satisfaction of creating mystery." Yu Xing shrugged indifferently, then, before Yi Qing could react, she stored the Sheqing Dreamscape into her Persona Mask.

It's better to be quiet... As punishment for disobeying, Yiqing won't be allowed to go out and see the world for this week.

Yu Xing smiled mischievously, already able to imagine Yi Qing cursing him behind his back in dissatisfaction.

Just then, the system settlement appeared in his mind.

[Deduction Hint: The promotion deduction Yugi "Ghost Night Talk" has ended]

[Promotion Successful]

[Increase in Personality Assimilation Degree: 1%]

[Rating: None (Special deduction Yugi do not have a rating)]

[Deduction points earned: 500 (fixed points)]

[The differentiation type has been confirmed as -- the Mutation Path]

[The current Persona Mask is now complete.]

[Title system is now available]

[Guild system is now available]

Yu Xing felt that something was changing in his body again, so he immediately brought up the Persona Mask template and glanced at the new template.

[Persona Mask? Luck]

[Owner: Yu Xing]

[Basic Information: Male, Height 185cm, Weight 65kg, Age???, Sober]

[Identity: Alienation Deducer - Struggling (5502 points remaining) (A hint for newcomers: After advancing to the Mutation Path, abilities are divided into four levels: Struggling/Mourning/Despair/Reality. Levels are not judged by points; the system will give the evaluation result based on the deducer's own performance.)]

[Titles: Terrifying Newcomer (Rare), Story Lover]

[Terrifying Newcomer (Rare): Wearing this title grants a newbie aura, preventing you from becoming a priority target for ghosts when first encountering them in multiplayer dungeons.]

[Story Enthusiast: Wearing this title increases the score bonus for the "Story Expert" rating by 10%]

[Star Ranking Deduction: No One Inquires]

[Guild: None]

[Mask Weighting: Calm 18%, Madness 20%, Kindness 9%, Gentleness 7%, Indifference 10%, Evil 8%, Carefree 2%, Lazy 3%, Resilience 7%, Chaos 14%.]

[Holder's description: After several simulations and observations, I finally understand what's wrong with you. You're an unkillable person; your Personality Assimilation Degree has exceeded the limits of conscious human thought. So how can you maintain your rationality? Or rather... you don't actually have any rationality at all. Hiss, that's terrifying to think about.]

[Personality Sacrifice:&#*|*^(Data Error), Tears of the Underworld Candle, Strange Doll, Sheqing Dreamscape (Weared 4/6)]

[Personality Assimilation Degree: 52% (Personality Assimilation Degree exceeding 20% will negatively impact the deducer's personality. Your Personality Assimilation Degree high; please suppress your evil.)]

[Deduction Mall: Select to enter (newly opened item shop and offering storage/trading platform)]

[Wishlist: 1 item entered (coming soon)]

[Yugi Direction Selection Market: Select Available]

This template is indeed somewhat different from the previous one. As soon as Yu Xing opened it, the content information of the new template appeared in his mind.

First, a personality status has been added to the basic information, and the age data has changed from a data error to three question marks.

The identity data has probably changed the most. After the Differentiation Tier, the levels are no longer distinguished by intermediate or advanced levels, but by a new system. Yu Xing was promoted and was assigned to the Struggle Level.

Titles, Deduction Star Level, and Guilds are all new additions. Two of the titles, one he received when he first qualified for deduction and the other he received during the live stream Rookie Tournament, remained untouched until their effects became apparent during the promotion and Differentiation Tier.

On the surface, both titles have their merits, but only one can be worn at a time, and each title provides only one buff.

Since she wouldn't be entering the Yugi for a while, Yu Xing didn't rush to make a choice.

In the remaining data, the Personality Assimilation Degree increased by one percent. This was probably because the promotion simulation triggered some bad memories in Yu Xing's past, even pulling out many terrible memories that he had almost forgotten and dissecting them in front of him, causing Yu Xing to have a slight fluctuation.

The Deduction Mall has been expanded to include the ability to purchase items. This is the biggest difference between the Differentiation Tier and previous levels – collecting offerings is difficult, while the Differentiation Tier has items that greatly increase survival chances during deductions.

The last item is a reminder for the wish list.

His initial wish was to stabilize his physical condition and prevent it from worsening, and to cure some of the negative conditions. Now, of all the conditions, Yu Xing only has one left to fulfill: to complete seven simulation Yugi within two months.

Time is not an issue. Including the promotion Yugi, he has already played six Yugi and only needs one more to fulfill his wish.

Yu Xing quickly processed this information, and then everything went black as he exited the simulation world.

No matter how long you spend in a simulation Yugi, it's just a fleeting moment in reality.

Qu Xuanqing was waiting at the door of Yu Xing's room early in the morning. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, and her cold eyes revealed a hint of arrogance that was hard to detect.

She leaned against the wall, her hands in her coat pockets, waiting for Yu Xing to return.

Promotion failed?

She never associated those four words with Yu Xing; instead of worrying, she should think about what to eat for breakfast.

The reason I was waiting at the door was simply because I wanted to confirm that the other person was safe as soon as possible!

Qu Xuanqing sighed, pinched her brow, and muttered, "Honestly, if I'm not worried, why do I have to check if I'm safe? My logic is completely gone."

Even so, she still waited there obediently.

"Oh, playing the doorman?" Suddenly, Yu Xing's door opened, and a cheerful voice floated out.

Qu Xuanqing tilted his head, looked him up and down, and nodded in satisfaction.

Very good. He's not missing any limbs, and he doesn't look gloomy. He seems to be in good physical and mental condition.

Yu Xing ushered her into the house.

After leaving the simulation scene, Yu Xing lay on the bed in a daze for a while, then sensed someone outside the door and opened it.

He found that his perception seemed to have improved. Of course, this was also the reason why Qu Xuanqing did not hide herself, otherwise Yu Xing would definitely not have noticed her.

It seems that advancing to Differentiation Tier will improve one's mental strength?

Since the big shot was right in front of her, Yu Xing simply asked all the questions she had noticed.

"Yes, the initial Differentiation Tier will involve a small modification to the diviner, both in terms of physical fitness and mental fortitude," Qu Xuanqing explained resignedly, fully aware of his role as a tool. "Because, after Differentiation Tier, the level of danger in divination far surpasses that before; it's no longer something that can be handled simply by the diviner being careful or having a bit of luck."

"The conditions for passing the level will become more stringent, posing a challenge to both the physical skills and intelligence of the participants. If they don't find a way to survive, it's basically a death sentence."

At this point, Qu Xuanqing was quite reassured. "Based on my understanding of you, this is a good thing, because after the Differentiation Tier and upgrading, there will be more conditions, restrictions, traps, and rules, making it easier for you to scheme against people."

"I'm a good person, don't make me sound so sinister," Yu Xing retorted half-heartedly.

Qu Xuanqing: "Hehe. In short, because the difficulty has increased dramatically, the deduction system has given the deducers a certain boost, but this boost is very small and not enough to keep up with the changes in difficulty. To survive, deducers need to use their points to exchange for physical strength and items."

At this point, she also took the opportunity to explain the difference between offerings and props.

Each offering is unique and merges with a different Persona Mask, producing drastically different abilities with permanent effects.

A single deduction Yugi will produce at most two or three sacrifices, but most often only one, which is not easy to find and is something that the players being deduced will fight over.

Items are consumables, and most of them can be mass-produced and purchased. For example, there are talismans and amulets, as well as flashlights that are not affected by supernatural forces. As long as you have enough points, you can buy as many as you want.

Both Meng Po's Soup and Alice's Ruby are special items; the former is not available in the store, while the latter is of unique quality.

There's also a Time Imprint, but Yu Xing still doesn't know what its purpose is.

"Yu Xing, what are your plans for the guild?" Qu Xuanqing asked.

Yu Xing raised an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Hmm... I guess Lingren has definitely noticed you already, after all, you killed a prospective member of Single Prism during the live broadcast." She tightened her coat collar and narrowed her eyes. "They will definitely test you later. Even if none of the members besides Lingren know your identity, Lingren can still have his subordinates come looking for you under the guise of revenge."

"If you don't join a guild, there will be those 'Fallen Path' characters haunting you in every subsequent simulation Yugi."