Outliers and Deduction
Shadow Street, Volume 16, Ice Sacred Dragon, Chapter 335: Outsiders and Deduction
The mission details weren't explicitly stated, but it's certainly not simple. Just looking at one of the rewards tells you this won't be easy; after all, even Li Wei is extremely interested in that S-rank skill.
After considering for a moment, An Hei shook his head.
Li Wei and Zheng Yutong didn't understand what he meant, so they asked. The other person's answer almost made Li Wei rush over and beat him up.
An Hei said, "Just now, I silently told myself, 'Li Wei, you are not a reincarnator,' but nothing happened. So, I think it's very possible that you are not that so-called hidden enemy at all."
He really dared to take the risk, and Li Wei couldn't help but feel a little scared. An Hei's personality meant he was someone who acted on impulse; to put it simply, he was a 'fool'.
However, thanks to him, Li Wei felt somewhat less apprehensive. Even if things weren't as An Hei had deduced, he didn't have to worry about anyone suspecting him or anything unexpected happening.
"There's another possibility: we need to prove, Li Wei, that you're not a reincarnator. So, what's the easiest way to prove it?" An Hei's lewd appearance resembled that of a pervert, but his words resonated with both Li Wei and Zheng Yutong.
"It's the Yellow Paper. Those who have the Yellow Paper are reincarnated beings; those who don't are not."
Yes?
Li Wei slapped his forehead, realizing he had overlooked this. So, all he had to do was force everyone to summon the Yellow Paper, and the first task would be easily completed.
Thinking of that S-rank skill, Li Wei revealed a hint of anticipation.
But is it really that easy?
If the "person" mentioned in Task One is yourself, wouldn't that be an admission of guilt? Even if it's not you, if the other party demands that you show the Yellow Paper first, wouldn't that also expose you?
What are the consequences of revealing one's identity? If the mission had described it, Li Wei wouldn't be afraid, but the mission didn't mention it at all. No wonder An Hei had such a solemn expression; he must have already thought this through.
Now, Li Wei is in a real bind; he has to sort through all the clues.
First, Task One states that among the 60 reincarnators, there is one 'outlier'. Finding this outlier will grant a reward.
An Hei reasoning is needed to find this anomaly; deduction alone isn't enough, evidence is required, and the best evidence is the 'Yellow Paper'.
In other words, whoever doesn't have the Yellow Paper is the outlier mentioned in Task One.
The crucial issue is that he might very well be the "outsider." Simply revealing his identity wouldn't be a problem for him, given his A3 combat strength. However, the problem lies in the fact that the mission didn't disclose the vital "consequences"—what would happen if he were actually dragged out?
Did nothing happen? Or were they simply wiped out?
Li Wei couldn't possibly take that risk.
Li Wei knew An Hei quite well; the man was intolerant of even the smallest flaw. His serious expression stemmed from a possible unease...
If that 'outsider' is yourself, that's fine, but what if it isn't?
Imagine, infiltrating the ranks of reincarnators, there's an unknown 'outcast,' whose nature is unclear—whether it's good or evil, its purpose. Even Li Wei couldn't bear this feeling of being stuck in his throat.
The best way to avoid contact with 'outsiders' is to separate from the others after the mission begins.
However, according to the rules of the Main God regarding the mission world, there must be a reason for the existence of so many reincarnators. Perhaps, the consequence of acting separately is that they lose the 'opportunity' to complete the mission.
"This Main God is getting more and more cunning," Li Wei thought bitterly. However, it took Li Wei a long time to realize that bringing An Hei along this time was probably the best decision he ever made.
"When I was issuing the mission, I observed the others. I can eliminate at least half of them because they didn't cover their Yellow Paper at all. Only the Yellow Paper of seven people, including you, were not visible. After eliminating you, there are six people left. Assuming you're not the 'outcast,' I think the 'outcast' must be among those six." An Hei's words immediately jolted Li Wei awake.
What a weirdo! He even had time to observe others back then. Could it be that An Hei considered this possibility the moment he saw 'Mission One'?
Li Wei felt a chill run down his spine. This An Hei, no wonder he was the top strategist in the old government; his reputation was well-deserved. He'd been tricked by him several times back then, and now it seemed he hadn't been wronged at all.
"So, what do we do now?" Zheng Yutong's gaze towards the others was clearly hostile. In her view, Li Wei was absolutely trustworthy, so there was a high possibility that there was an 'outsider' among the others. The thought that some seemingly normal person might actually be a terrifying unknown being made her feel uneasy.
Li Wei also looked at the An Hei, wanting to hear what good ideas the other party had.
"Let's play a game of cat and mouse." An Hei smile, tinged with a deep chill, said, "Li Wei, I know you have a spatial ability called Shifting Forms and Changing Positions, right? You can instantly travel to places you've been before. I think the reason that Main God chose this mission scenario might also be because of this ability..."
After a pause, An Hei continued, "And what I'm certain of now is that you are definitely not that 'outcast.' The first mission arranged by the Main God was precisely to send you to find that 'outcast.'"
Zheng Yutong chuckled, "An Hei, what you're saying is too far-fetched. Why would the Main God do that? He must know who the 'outcasts' are, so why would he rely on Li Wei? Besides, even if that's the case, why didn't he give us more hints to save us from guessing? And what does Li Wei's Shifting Forms and Changing Positions have to do with this mission world?"
An Hei remained unchanged, but he shook his finger. "No, the Main God has already given many clues and hints, it's just that you didn't notice them. Also, Shifting Forms and Changing Positions is a skill used to catch mice."
Clue??
Li Wei felt as if he saw the truth, yet he couldn't grasp that spark of inspiration; it seemed as if the truth was separated from him by only a thin veil.
And what breaks through this barrier is An Hei.
"Li Wei, do you remember our analysis before? The Main God possesses two powers: the 'Time Power' and the 'Power of Rules.' One is the power to control time, while the other, the Power of Rules, is probably even more terrifying than the Time Power —so terrifying that even the Main God himself must abide by it."
"Take this mission for example. The Main God could have provided many more clues, but he didn't. There are two possibilities: either he did it intentionally, or he was forced to. I lean towards the second. You told me that in previous missions, someone deceived the Main God's spies, impersonating a reincarnator to enter the mission world. Think about it, if the Main God were truly omnipotent, how could that person have been fooled?"
Li Wei recalled the Monster Hunter quest; Liu Yuchen had indeed sneaked into the quest world without the Main God to steal the Dragon Jade.
Thinking of this, Li Wei suddenly had a thought. Could it be that Liu Yuchen had infiltrated the mission again, and this time, he had been discovered by the Main God, but the Main God didn't know which reincarnator he was disguised as, and because of some kind of 'rule,' couldn't take direct action?
That must be it. The rules of the mission world probably include this. "Once a reincarnator begins a mission, they must follow the pre-determined plan." Even the Main God cannot change these pre-established rules of the game.
Therefore, the Main God added this seemingly strange task, wanting others to find the hidden 'Liu Yuchen,' and the An Hei meaning is that the Main God places the greatest hope in himself.
"Finding it can be understood as separating that 'outcast' from the normal reincarnators. Only you, Li Wei, with your Shifting Forms and Changing Positions, can do that. Once you find that outcast and teleport him to another location, you've completed the first task," An Hei said decisively.
So that's what happened?
Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Although the mission had been issued, it hadn't truly begun yet. His task was to find the 'outlier' during the mission's active period and then teleport it to another location.
The primary targets are the six people An Hei has locked onto.
Li Wei glanced over and saw that the six people were a mix of men and women. The highest combat strength was A2, and the lowest was C1. They were all acting alone, and the women clearly wore expressions of unease and wariness.
"Which one is it?" Li Wei used his Eye of Perception, but couldn't find any clues, something Li Wei had already anticipated.
If the opponent could even deceive the Main God, how could they possibly fool themselves?
Furthermore, these six people appear to be without companions, meaning it's impossible to determine their authenticity by speaking to those who know them well. So, what does An Hei mean by "catching rats"?
Soon, An Hei provided Li Wei with the answer.
"Right now, your combat power is the highest, so you're the cat and they're the mice, understand? You can directly attack them; this is the most direct and effective method. If that outcast doesn't resist, you'll kill it. If it resists, it'll give itself away, and you can just use Shifting Forms and Changing Positions to pull it away. How about that, simple, right?"
Is this really a simple and direct method?
Li Wei gave a wry smile, genuinely admiring An Hei's cunning. Time was running out; they had to execute the plan immediately.
Thinking of this, Li Wei instructed Zheng Yutong to protect An Hei, and then walked towards the location of the six people.