Are You Human or an Ape?

Meanwhile, at the Dragon Country Strange Tales Department.

Except for Elder Qin, who stood with his back to everyone, the others exchanged uncertain glances.

Finally, an elderly man broke the silence.

"We underestimated Su Chen. That boy is no ordinary fellow. Tell me, did any of you see through that trap beforehand?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Elder Qin, did you realize long ago that Su Chen was hiding his abilities?"

The elderly man looked at Elder Qin, who stood at the head of the group, and asked.

Elder Qin turned around with a chuckle.

"No, I didn't. I was simply willing to put some trust in Su Chen. After all, getting to know someone through their personal records is never as reliable as watching what they actually do."

"Besides, so what if he's simpleminded? Back when Dragon Country faced its darkest hour, didn't countless 'simpleminded' people work miracles that no one could believe?"

"So, comrades, we must set aside our prejudices. Only by remaining sufficiently objective can we properly support him."

At those words, quite a few faces flushed red.

They lowered their heads in shame.

Still, the people of Dragon Country were willing to admit their mistakes.

Soon, their fighting spirit burned fiercely once more.

Their hero was risking his life. They would make certain he had their full support.

"Our main focus now is the aquarium. That may be where the real exit lies. We must find a workable approach as quickly as possible."

As he spoke, Elder Qin swept his clouded eyes over everyone.

Everyone his gaze passed over immediately straightened their backs and stood at attention.

They answered in unison.

Then they plunged back into the tedious process of data analysis.

Meanwhile, Su Chen followed the route on the map toward the Elephant Area.

Just then, he spotted Kim Xiba from Pickle Country in the distance, staring blankly at the elephant enclosure.

When Su Chen got a clear look at him, he froze for a moment.

Those pure white rabbit ears stood out painfully.

Su Chen knew that Kim Xiba's cognition had been corrupted, and severely at that.

His appearance also gave Su Chen a rough idea of some of "its" hunting methods.

Just then, Su Chen suddenly remembered when he had first entered the strange tales world earlier that day.

Kim Xiba had tried to set him up.

He had told Su Chen to trust only the first rule.

But Kim Xiba would probably never have imagined it.

The first rule was actually the most accurate one.

An arrogant, stubborn person was, ironically, the safest here.

Because his cognition was the most stable.

Su Chen wondered what expression Kim Xiba would make if he learned the truth.

At that thought, an idea came to Su Chen.

The sight of Dragon Country's chosen one being sabotaged in the previous strange tales world was still vivid in his mind.

It would be rude not to return the favor.

Our Dragon Country is a nation of courtesy.

We have generosity to spare.

Why don't I tell you the truth?

A cold glint flashed through Su Chen's eyes.

Then he put on that familiar, simple, honest smile.

He strode toward Kim Xiba.

"What are you looking at?"

Su Chen stopped a meter away from him and asked.

Hearing someone speak, Kim Xiba turned his head woodenly to look at Su Chen.

Then he opened his mouth, as though he wanted to say something.

Yet even after a long while, he could not get a single word out.

Seeing him like this made things even clearer to Su Chen.

His cognition was clearly on the verge of collapse.

That made this all the better.

"Kim Xiba, I found a hidden rule. The black text is true, and the blue rules are false."

Su Chen spoke quietly.

At those words, Kim Xiba visibly shuddered.

He stared fixedly at Su Chen, his expression full of disbelief.

At the same time, he stiffly raised his hands like a zombie and reached toward Su Chen.

As though he wanted to grab him.

Seeing this, Su Chen took another step back.

With a cheerful smile, he dropped a bombshell.

"Are you a rabbit or a human? Are you human or an ape?"

Those softly spoken words, audible only to the two of them.

Exploded in Kim Xiba's mind like a bomb.

"Ah... ah... oh..."

Kim Xiba's face began to contort in agony.

His hands curled into claws, and he raked them viciously across his face.

As his nails scraped over his skin, several bright red streaks of blood appeared on his face.

Then he began tearing at his hair.

Great handfuls of hair flew through the air.

That was not all. Kim Xiba's eyes grew redder and redder, as though blood would drip from them.

Then something bizarre happened.

The rabbit ears, which had seemed to exist in another dimension, actually made contact with his hands.

At the sight, Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

He turned away and headed toward the Elephant Area.

He knew Kim Xiba was beyond saving.

His cognition had already been corrupted, leaving him on the edge of a precipice.

And Su Chen had told him that the blue text was the wrong choice.

Whether Kim Xiba believed him or not, his cognition would undoubtedly fluctuate again.

At that very moment, Su Chen had asked the crucial question.

Are you a rabbit or a human? Are you human or an ape?

Kim Xiba's cognition had already been drifting toward "it."

Naturally, he could not answer that question.

After all, "it" could not distinguish humans from apes at all.

For precisely that reason, Kim Xiba's cognition would continue to fluctuate violently.

Until...