A few moments after the gunshot, Chu Jiu finally snapped out of the cloud-like shock.
She had never experienced such an exhilarating moment. At this moment, it was as if she saw a clown walking a tightrope, not only without fear but also mocking the Grim Reaper with a grin.
This guy had toyed with death!
Crazy.
Even someone as composed as Chu Jiu couldn't suppress the excitement and curiosity in her heart. She quickly asked, "You... you... you knew something was wrong with that gun all along?"
She had seen two people die from that gun, but the one in their cage was different?
Ji Xun shook his head with a smile, denying her assumption. "No. There's nothing wrong with the gun."
Chu Jiu thought it over and agreed the gun wasn't the issue. "Then why... why were you able to fire six shots?"
"The game rule is that you can only fire one shot at others. It didn't say you could only fire one shot at yourself."
Ji Xun's lips curved slightly, as if he were still immersed in the thrill of the roulette game of life and death.
"Moreover, I already said that the factors determining the outcomes of the trials are not limited to the spatial rules themselves."
He gave a meaningful glance at the iron spikes overhead.
Time had already passed, but the spikes had not fallen.
This meant they had cleared the trial.
Both of them survived the trial.
He had used a method none of the other participants in the iron cages had chosen and still succeeded.
Turning his gaze to the mechanical clown standing frozen in place, Ji Xun asked with a hint of sarcasm, "Right, Mr. Clown?"
The clown did not respond, simply watching them. However, the smile on its face seemed to grow more eerie.
...
At this moment, Chu Jiu was filled with endless questions, wanting to know what exactly had happened.
Given his good impression of his teammate, Ji Xun didn't mind sharing more.
Now that they had cleared the trial, he understood everything.
He began to explain, "If it were merely a simple game of roulette, how boring would that be... It would make the designer seem quite unremarkable. With such a sophisticated setup, how could the final outcome be so mundane?"
...
Chu Jiu listened and agreed.
This otherworldly space was the most intricate she had ever encountered.
If the final trial were merely about killing to escape, it would indeed seem anticlimactic, not matching the previous ingenious setups.
Ji Xun had mentioned this before.
But how did he know about the problem with the gun?
Ji Xun smiled mysteriously and began to reveal the truth. "Do you remember the saying, 'When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you'? This was actually a clear hint. When you gaze into the evil of human nature, the evil reflects back into your heart, revealing your true self."
Chu Jiu suddenly realized, "You mean... that card?"
She finally understood. Before, when they killed the [Shadow Fiend], it dropped a card.
They had guessed it was a clue for the final trial.
Now it made sense!
Wait... No, it doesn't. They didn't even use the card!
This guy had fired six shots at his own head!
He must have discovered something else to make such a gamble.
Ji Xun explained, "When we entered the mirror house, I had some guesses. Seeing the setup in the iron cages, I confirmed more suspicions. Hearing the roulette game rules, I fully understood the designer's intention." He smiled, a fanatical gleam in his eyes, "So this final trial, what it truly tested was never just the luck of roulette. Nothing tests better than human nature."
Chu Jiu: "..."
She understood the words but still felt confused.
She remained silent to avoid sounding foolish.
After a brief pause, Ji Xun continued, "The essence of an otherworldly space is to undergo trials and receive rewards by passing the test..."
The purpose is to select people who possess the designer's intended traits to pass the game and receive the final reward. From previous experiences with the [Wallbreaker], [Witch], [Gambler], and [Shadow Demon], to the current Joker game, you'll find that those who succeed have traits such as self-restraint, courage, wisdom, unwavering faith, and perhaps... kindness. Of course, this space is unique in that it also tests special traits like a gambler's mindset, cunning, madness, and obsession. Only adventurers with all these traits can gain final recognition."
After a pause, he continued, "And another phrase: 'Before dawn arrives, someone must light up the darkness.' The designer gave this final hint to indicate that the people selected by this space are those who can bring light in endless darkness. So, from the beginning, the moment someone aimed a gun at their companion, they were already out. Teammates can't die, so there's only one choice left..."
Shoot yourself!
Only then did Chuju understand the deeper meaning of those two sentences.
So, that's why this guy shot himself six times!
There must be other factors she didn't quite grasp yet. She thought of something else and wanted to ask, "Then earlier..."
Before she could finish, Ji Xun interrupted, "You're wondering if the old servant who shot himself several times could also pass?"
He answered his own question, "No, it's not possible. He could leave alive, but he didn't clear the game. The greatest respect for the designer is to clear the game according to its rules. We skipped some minor levels, but it didn't matter. However, the master and servant appeared here directly, clearly taking a shortcut. They must have had special information from outside rather than discovering it within the space. Without those traits, they couldn't possibly get the final reward."
Exploiting bugs in the game to clear it is fine, but you'll lose some essential clues and the full gaming experience.
You might get some rewards but not all.
That's inevitable.
"..."
Chuju pondered.
Ji Xun agreed, "That guy is actually quite smart. He probably realized this, which is why he didn't shoot and stayed until the last moment. But even if he guessed right, he wouldn't dare gamble as a dignified young master. If he died, everything would be truly lost. Anyone in his position would hesitate. After all, power and status can be a shackle that makes people lose their adventurous spirit. This is fate, unrelated to wisdom."
...
Listening to Ji Xun explain all the levels, Chuju's mixed thoughts became clearer.
But how could a normal person, with just these two clues, shoot themselves six times?
Chuju couldn't help but ask, "Everything is your speculation. What if you had gambled wrong?"
"If I lost the bet, I would die."
Ji Xun responded casually.
His tone was so calm, as if he weren't talking about his own life and death.
Then, with a smile splitting across his face under the gas mask, he looked at the mechanical clown as if seeing himself in a mirror.
After a moment, Ji Xun said in a low voice, "To me... the outcome of this gamble is more attractive than death."
These intricate levels gave him that rare, pathological, ultimate pleasure of a cranial high!
"..."
Having seen this twice, Chuju was used to it. She knew he seemed to be in that arrogant and crazy state again.
"And it feels the same."
Noticing a gaze from the darkness, Ji Xun added, "If I gambled wrong, I would die! But it would lose! If I didn't die, neither of us would win! It wouldn't let itself lose!"
Chuju was confused, "It?"
Ji Xun smiled, "Yes. In other words... the space's designer? Or the will of the space? The final boss? That's the idea."
...
Ji Xun asked, "Do you know why I'm saying this now?"
Chuju was about to say: Isn't it for me to hear?
But she quickly realized the implication and asked, "Why?"
Ji Xun smiled slightly, "Because, that guy has been watching from the shadows."
Chuju was slightly shocked, looking around, "But... won't it if you say this?"
Ji Xun shook his head, "It's meant for it to hear. Solving a perfect puzzle is a pleasurable experience. And for a designer, having someone appreciate their design and understand its intricacy is a hundred times more fulfilling than killing and toying with players who can't appreciate the levels."
Chuju internally matched herself with the description: Why does it feel like I'm the stupid player you mentioned?
After a pause.
Ji Xun looked at the bizarre mechanical clown again and asked for the second time, "Isn't that right, Mr. Clown?"
This time, the clown responded, "Yes, adventurer."
Its exaggerated mouth curved into a smile that seemed to split its entire face, then said, "Congratulations on passing the test."
Ji Xun, feeling like he met a worthy opponent, responded, "Thank you. It was an enjoyable experience."
The iron cage slowly opened.
The clown smiled.
As it smiled, its expression gradually solidified.
The already colorful paint quickly dimmed, like life fading at the end, suddenly losing its color.
The mechanical clown's mission ended here.
At the final moment, it spoke the second phrase from the card: "Before dawn arrives, someone must light up the darkness."
It felt like a whisper from ancient times.
Ji Xun listened silently, contemplating.
He looked at the dead mechanical clown, unmoving for a long time.
...
At this moment, enlightenment reappeared.
"You hear a description of the darkness from a whisper from the abyss. You touched 'miracle.'"
Ji Xun pondered, looking at the previously unremarkable black card in his hand.
Now, it had changed.
Originally, the disaster recorded in that file was already in his hands.
It was a gray playing card.
[Ace - Gray Joker]
Quality: Epic
Category: Demon Mark
Supernatural Attributes:
1. Deceiver: Intelligence +10, photographic memory, cognition cannot be erased or altered by any external force below the card rule level, probability of interpreting demonic whispers;
2. Cursed Gambler: The clown's life seems cursed by fate, always entangled in bad luck. It grows in adversity and pain, like a dancer on a blade, finding meaning in seeking thrills. The crazier the adversity, the better the luck.
3. Wild Card: Body with unlimited storage, all-element tolerance can grow, the user is not restricted by sequence, can use any class cards for advancement;
4. Demon's Feast: You can extract supernatural traits from corpses;
Evaluation: The Joker card is the most special card in poker. It is an ace and a wild card. The clown mocks the hypocrisy of gods, ridicules the incompetence of death, and also satirizes human greed and cowardice. It roams in the shadows, observing the world. This card is legendary, hidden in the dust of history, one of the fifty-four demonic origin cards, pointing to an indescribable high-ranking demon. Fusion compatibility 97%, fusion with this demon mark has less than 5% chance of mutation;
At the bottom of the card, there is a handwritten line. Although he didn't recognize the script, Ji Xun understood: Is this a demon's enslavement contract? No, quite the opposite, it's the seal of a curse card master controlling demonic power—signature mark.