In the sixth scene, Lin Sanjiu remained silent.
The setting was an amusement park: a carousel, bumper cars, a pirate ship ride, and a cotton candy stall—all old, worn-down, and suspiciously ramshackle. The small park was crowded with these attractions, giving it the air of a cheap, mobile carnival that relocated frequently. Yet, for this group of ordinary people, it was enough to capture their attention and awe.
The amusement park was much larger than the hospital, and the group soon scattered into small, loosely-knit clusters. Taking advantage of their distraction, Lin Sanjiu quietly climbed onto the roof of the bumper car arena, where she could survey the entire park from above.
She pulled out a pen and paper, jotting down notes occasionally. From her vantage point, she could see who was moving where, who approached whom, and who was talking to whom, though she couldn't hear their conversations.
The only exception was Hina's booming voice.
The tall, muscular woman spent most of her time at the amusement park chasing after others, half-yelling and half-demanding that they demonstrate their evolved abilities. However, her motives seemed less about uncovering Dr. Chen's killer and more about self-preservation. It was clear that Rodent-Face's earlier remarks had sown seeds of doubt in her mind; she didn't want to be the only one exposed.
Unfortunately for her, no one responded to her demands; not in the sixth scene and not when the seventh scene arrived.
The seventh scene was like a fairytale.
It was a forest of tall, dark green trees, with sunlight filtering through the canopy, creating a mosaic of shadows and warm golden light. Beyond the lush greenery was a sparkling lake, its crystal-clear water blending layers of white, blue, and green, like a finely crafted cocktail.
By the lakeshore stood a row of wooden camping cabins. On the grass were folding tables and chairs, while a light truck was loaded with supplies: firewood, accelerants, a large crate of chilled beer, and more. Even in this natural setting, the scene provided ample resources for the group, along with the inevitable hidden media.
"If not for the pocket dimension, we'd probably never see a view like this in our lifetimes," Ya Rong said as she walked past Lin Sanjiu, turning suddenly to address her. "Don't you think so?"
"Huh?" Lin Sanjiu, her focus fixed on the others, was caught off guard by the question. "Oh, yeah."
Ya Rong, who had long stopped trusting her, seemed to have spoken without any underlying message. Yet Lin Sanjiu found herself pondering the exchange for a while after Ya Rong walked away.
It wasn't just Ya Rong; even the rough-looking man with the caveman-like forehead seemed enchanted by the scene. The group wandered around, exploring the forest, which turned out to be smaller than it first appeared. Eventually, they all gravitated back to the lake in small groups.
Although only three hours had passed since entering the pocket dimension, exhaustion was evident on every face.
Jiang Tian was the first to duck into one of the wooden cabins. When she emerged, her gray robe had been swapped for a T-shirt and jeans that surprisingly fit her well.
Tenny Voltz eyed her outfit a few times before deciding to head toward another cabin. As he passed by Muya and Guan Nan, Muya called out to him, "Don't go in there. What if the clothes are her media?"
Jiang Tian, clearly hearing the remark, didn't bother turning around. She simply rolled her eyes.
"Then I just won't talk to her," Tenny Voltz said after a moment's thought. "Besides, I think I can recognize someone else's message by now. And anyway, this gray robe is just too uncomfortable; it's drafty inside." ṛÁƝǑ𝐁Ęs̩
When he emerged, he had not only changed into regular clothes but also strapped a bulging camping backpack to his back. Muya stopped him again, but this time their voices were much quieter, and Lin Sanjiu couldn't catch what they were saying.
After a while, Tenny Voltz hesitated, nodded, and took off the camping backpack before sitting down beside Muya, Guan Nan, and Rob.
Meanwhile, Wen Ya was sitting at a camping table with Caveman and Rodent-Face, sipping beer. Not far from them, Ya Rong and Jiang Tian were loosely positioned a few meters apart, exchanging occasional remarks. Hina was the busiest of all, moving between the groups, eavesdropping here, interjecting there.
On the surface, the atmosphere seemed much the same as before. If anything, it was slightly more relaxed than when Dr. Chen had just been killed. After all, the biggest perceived threat, Dr. Chen, was now gone.
But the situation had undoubtedly taken a turn for the worse.
Dr. Chen's introduction of the record-keeping system, followed by his assassination, had thrown everything into chaos. Now that Lin Sanjiu had fully grasped what had happened, she realized she had fallen behind the others by a significant margin. Her slower thinking was becoming a liability. If it had been the grand prize instead, there likely wouldn't have been any opportunity for others to execute their plans.
If she had lost the strategic upper hand, could brute force solve the problem? She frowned, staring at the paper in her hands.
What if she removed [Facial Hair], subdued everyone by force, and rendered them incapable of acting, round after round, until someone from the factory came to dismantle the pocket dimension?
She quickly dismissed the thought. Unless it was an absolute last resort, she wouldn't resort to such measures.
There were too many reasons against it: the unnecessary physical suffering it would inflict on others, for one. And humans, when oppressed by external force, inevitably shift their focus to escape and resistance. The idea of spending an indefinite amount of time monitoring and suppressing eleven people, each waiting for their chance to strike, was a scenario she wanted to avoid at all costs.
After all, if she could go with the flow, why choose to swim against the current?
From the residential neighborhood scene onward, Lin Sanjiu had been silent for nearly two hours, avoiding interactions with anyone. Her quietness was beginning to draw attention. Even as she was lost in thought, she could feel the occasional glance cast in her direction.
She strolled leisurely along the lakeshore, as if on a walk. The warm afternoon breeze was punctuated by fragments of conversation, drifting lightly past her like scattered leaves.
"Why are there four of us?" Tenny Voltz asked.
"This is our fallback plan..." Rob answered in a low voice. He fell silent when he noticed Lin Sanjiu walking by.
"Jiang Tian," Hina called out loudly. "You're supposed to be the smart one, aren't you? Come over here and help me figure out what we should do if we want to keep the record-keeping system running. Ya Rong, you too."
"With whom? Are you really planning to continue?" Jiang Tian sounded a bit surprised. "What if the killer is trying to stop the record-keeping system?"
"Hah, Wen Ya already said it; there are two possible motives for the killer," Hina replied as she and Jiang Tian drew closer. Her voice gradually lowered, but Lin Sanjiu still caught the general idea of their conversation.
It was intriguing how two different assumptions could lead to opposite conclusions about the killer's motives. The first possibility: the killer wanted to hunt mouthpieces and refused to participate in the record-keeping system, so they killed Dr. Chen as a warning and to disable the system. The second: the killer wanted the system to continue but didn't trust Dr. Chen, eliminating the greatest risk to its operation.
Both scenarios were plausible. Lin Sanjiu wanted to hear what conclusion they would reach, but it seemed wherever she went, she was met with more wariness than anyone else. It was unlikely they'd be willing to share their thoughts with her.
It made sense. She appeared strange, silent, and cold, constantly observing others from the sidelines. The only times she had spoken up were to handle Dr. Chen's corpse with unnerving calmness. From their perspective, even Lin Sanjiu had to admit she probably seemed highly suspicious.
1
The seventh scene, thankfully, passed uneventfully.
"Strange," Mrs. Manas murmured as the eighth scene began to materialize around them. "We're already on the eighth scene, and no one has made any big moves yet. No one's urging others to take items, and there doesn't seem to be any message, at least none that we've overheard. Are they not in a hurry?"
The eighth scene was a middle school campus. However, the pocket dimension only granted access to three classrooms on the first floor of the main building and a small outdoor basketball court.
As soon as the group got a clear look at their surroundings, they split into smaller groups and disappeared into the classrooms. When Lin Sanjiu glanced around, she realized she was left on the basketball court, along with Ya Rong, who stood several meters away, looking nervous and hesitant.
Ya Rong seemed like she wanted to say something but couldn't decide. She glanced at Lin Sanjiu a few times before finally mustering the courage to approach her.
"Um..." she began softly, "do you already have a plan?"
Lin Sanjiu was slightly taken aback but said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"It's nothing, really," Ya Rong said awkwardly. "I've been watching you. Things seem to be getting worse, but I can't quite pinpoint why... I noticed you were writing things down earlier, but you stopped in the last scene. You haven't written anything since, even now, with everyone else gone. It seems like you've decided it's no longer necessary..."
Lin Sanjiu nodded. "You're quite observant."
Ya Rong hesitated, clearly finding it difficult to voice her thoughts. "I hope... your plan includes me. As a partner, I mean. Because I... I'm not very strong physically, and my evolved ability isn't offensive. I don't know what the killer will do next... If I'm alone, I'll be at a huge disadvantage. Whatever you need me to do, as long as I can manage it, I'll do my best."
Her rambling, disjointed words were becoming increasingly incoherent, so Lin Sanjiu cut her off.
"How do I know you're not the killer?"
Ya Rong widened her eyes, clearly unprepared for the question. After a moment, she replied, "I can't prove that... but I can demonstrate my sincerity in other ways."
"Such as?"
The young woman took a deep breath, her resolve shining through. "This school is my home territory."
Lin Sanjiu folded her arms and studied her silently for a moment.
"You... you don't believe me?" Ya Rong stammered.
"If this truly is your home territory," Lin Sanjiu said slowly, "then you should know something not mentioned in the rules. That would serve as your proof. Of course, your home territory might have appeared earlier, not in this school. But if you can provide that evidence, I'll consider trusting your sincerity for now."
Ya Rong froze, glancing instinctively around the basketball court and the school building. "Evidence? What evidence? Even if I tell you what my media is, you wouldn't be able to confirm it... And what if I forgot some part of the rules?"
"In that case," Lin Sanjiu said coolly, "come back when you find that evidence."