The key to breaking the deadlock

Suddenly, Su Chen grinned.

He picked up the badge and made as if to pin it to his chest.

At that moment, the shadow went completely berserk.

Hysterical screams rang throughout the Zoo.

Su Chen took the brunt of the assault, blood streaming incessantly from both his ears.

As the blood dripped, the entire world fell silent to Su Chen.

His hearing was gone!

Yet Su Chen did not stop. He opened the badge's pin.

He wanted to try forcing his opponent to act.

He could not understand why it could attack and kill him directly.

That did not fit its underlying logic.

By rights, it relied on cognitive pollution.

Even the few times it had killed people directly, it had not contradicted its own perceptions.

When it attacked the Security Guards, for example, it had acted on its belief that elephants were whales and belonged in the water.

When it killed the many Chosen Ones in the Aquarium, it had likewise relied on its perceptions of jellyfish.

Su Chen had exploited precisely that point, using his words to shatter its perceptions and escape with his life.

Yet now it was threatening him directly, saying it would kill him.

He had to understand why.

After all, once he reloaded, he really would have only one life left. He had to play it safe.

Without at least ninety-eight percent certainty, he had no intention of risking his life.

As the badge drew closer to Su Chen's chest, the black shadow grew increasingly solid.

When the blazing light in the security office fell upon the shadow, it actually warped and vanished into thin air, as though captured by a black hole.

A bone-piercing chill spread from the shadow, instantly sending the temperature throughout the room plummeting.

Su Chen shuddered. His hair stood on end, and his teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Instinctively, he seemed to sense killing intent.

Su Chen's fingers stiffened, and he stopped what he was doing.

It really intends to attack? That wasn't an empty threat!

Su Chen frowned. This was far from what he had expected.

Could it have another trump card?

He pondered briefly, but still could not figure it out.

However, he did not dare keep pushing it.

Su Chen slipped the badge into his pocket and gave it a gentle smile.

"Don't be nervous. I was only joking. Rein in that power of yours a little. I'm freezing to death."

He spoke with a cheeky grin.

Sure enough, the shadow really did seem to respond better to a gentle approach than a forceful one.

Seeing Su Chen back down, the piercing chill slowly dissipated.

The temperature in the security office gradually returned to normal.

When he saw that it really had stopped, Su Chen breathed an inward sigh of relief.

It seemed the creature was still deeply fixated on the badge. He could surely use that to get it talking.

"Well, I can help you deal with the badge, but before that, I have a question."

"Ask."

The dolls on the wall swiftly arranged themselves into that single word.

It seemed quite pleased that Su Chen had backed down.

"Let me explain my guess first. By rights, even when you kill someone, you can't contradict your own perceptions. So why could you try to kill me just now? As far as you're concerned, I'm a monkey."

Su Chen asked outright.

Right now, his opponent held an absolute advantage, and it had no idea he still had another life.

By the usual villain's way of thinking, surely it would want to show off a little once its scheme succeeded!

After racking its brains to create such a perfect situation, wouldn't it be a shame to have no one to share it with?

In Su Chen's opinion, it would definitely reveal its trump card.

"Because once you put on the badge, you're a white lion."

The dolls on the wall moved swiftly, forming that line of large words.

As the words appeared, the shadow even scratched its head in a remarkably human gesture.

It seemed to be wondering why he would ask such a stupid question.

Su Chen froze as he read the explanation.

Then a flicker of shame rose within him, and even his face flushed slightly.

Fuck. I'd been so clever all along, only to do something stupid at the end!

Hadn't the letter already explained it? Old Zhou and the others had all turned into white lions in the end to fight it.

In its eyes, the Zoo Directors were naturally all white lions.

Faced with a white lion's threat, wasn't it perfectly normal to fight desperately to kill it?

Yet I'd spent all that time foolishly testing it, even pushing it to the brink and getting my ears injured.

What a fucking loss!

But Su Chen quickly shook off his shame, because a new problem had emerged.

His brows gradually knitted.

Although he now understood the logic behind its killing, he had no way to guard against it.

Once he put on the badge, he would become a white lion in its eyes, and it would attack to kill.

What kind of joke was this?

I didn't have the previous Zoo Directors' special abilities.

Taking over the Zoo Director Position would be nothing but throwing my life away.

This was still a dead end.

Just as Su Chen was struggling to think of a solution, he suddenly felt waves of warm air coming from behind him.

At the same time, the black shadow grew solid once again, waves of bone-piercing cold continually radiating from its body.

It had actually taken an attacking stance again.

What was going on?

Why had it suddenly gone berserk again?

Su Chen looked utterly bewildered.

Then something quickly occurred to him!

Perhaps something had come up behind him, and he had not heard it because of his injured ears.

Su Chen slowly turned his head.

The next instant, an enormous lion's head came into view.

Startled, Su Chen hurriedly took two steps back.

How had this fellow gotten out of the Lion Enclosure on its own?

Then Su Chen looked behind the white lion.

Three more white lions were approaching him through the nearby woods.

Their heavy footsteps exuded regal majesty.

The four white lions came to Su Chen's side and faced off against the shadow from a distance.

At that moment, the dark clouds overhead miraculously parted.

Pure white moonlight spilled through the woods, illuminating the four white lions and making them look especially holy and divine.

The strongest and most imposing white lion at the head of the group stepped forward again, coming to stand before Su Chen.

Then it lowered its proud head and nudged Su Chen's pocket.

The Zoo Director's Badge was inside.

Judging by its actions, it wanted him to put on the badge and inherit the Zoo Director Position.

And with all four lions turning out, they had clearly come to back him up.

They were signaling that he need not fear the shadow. With them here, they would surely keep Su Chen safe.

Su Chen let out a long breath. It seemed he could finally break the deadlock.

At that moment, everyone in Dragon Country's livestream chat was swept into a frenzy of excitement.

"Holy shit! That's insane! Su Chen actually brought all four white lions over as his muscle. I never saw that coming!"

"We've got this, guys! How can we lose with such an overwhelming advantage? Considering how terrified it's always been of the white lions, Su Chen's about to take over the entire Zoo!"

"This feels amazing! Other countries' Chosen Ones are struggling to survive in the Zoo, while Su Chen's conquering it. Let those other countries keep mocking us if they dare. What a relief!"

"I want to report this! You Dragon Country people are cheating! Supreme Rule of the Horror Story World, please punish Dragon Country!"

"Where did this lunatic come from? What you're saying shows nothing but contempt for the Horror Story World. If anyone deserves punishment, I think it should be you first!"

[Supreme Rule of the Horror Story World: a valid point. This rule has eliminated the person who showed contempt for this rule! Once again, do not provoke this rule!]

A conspicuous announcement appeared on everyone's screens.