Three Towers Game

Chapter 298 The Scheme of Sacrificing Pawns That Cannot Be Abandoned
Wen Xishu suddenly understood the malice of the scales curse.

He relied on his own abilities and defeated the first level with almost no difficulty.

But what about other people?

If other weaker people came here, given the trust that Devon, Cavendish, and Elsa all placed in them...

Devon would certainly risk his life to protect the commander who brought about the miracle in their eyes.

The same applies to the other members.

But... when you are truly moved by your comrades' selfless sacrifice, when you truly feel safe and trusting because of them—

The malice has begun.

At this moment, this choice must be incredibly difficult for most people.

Even Wen Xishu kept wondering why the favorability rating had risen so quickly, and whether there was something wrong with him.

Even though he had made these preparations in advance, he was still somewhat saddened at this moment.

Three thousand six hundred seconds, one hour, and a curse appeared above everyone's head.

The hacker named Borg, observing everyone's expressions, sighed:

"So, you didn't know about the Curse of the Balance. I was actually quite surprised when I saw you open the door, and I was even more surprised to see you celebrating your victory. I thought... Commander, you had already obtained a higher population quota."

"But it turns out, you just didn't know anything."

His blog post suggests he knows something.

Wen Xishu said:
"Could you elaborate? I'd like to know the details of the Scales Curse."

Borg said:

"I don't know where this curse came from, but the place where I used to live... was affected by the curse, making it very dangerous. We all lived in fear."

"I used to live in a small town where everyone lived in harmony."

"I won't go into too much detail about the good old days, to save time, Commander. I'll just tell you directly: the Curse of the Balance is a curse that balances life and death."

"When the curse descends, the number of living people within the curse's range will become a constant value..."

“Once a new living person appears within the area, someone must die.”

"This is a level one curse status."

“Our area has already developed to a level two curse state.”

“It’s not just living people; if animals enter our territory, it will happen the same way.”

"In other words, if even one rat gets into the town, and the rat isn't driven away within an hour, someone will die."

“We have built a tight fence around the edge of the cursed area…”

Wen Xishu interrupted the conversation:

"Wait, the balance between life and death... if one more person lives, one person will die..."

"What if you leave here?"

Borg looked at Wen Xishu and shook his head, saying:
"Of course we've thought about leaving... but the effect of the life-and-death balance is that once someone leaves, a new creature will be randomly born inside."

"This creature is very likely a bizarre monster."

"So many elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people; there are thousands of people in the town..."

"And outside, it's a post-apocalyptic wasteland, teeming with monsters."

"We live in this kind of environment, the curse of the scales, leaving us in a dilemma."

"Later, legend has it that someone can help us break the curse of the scales. Anyone who is willing to contribute their own strength and become a hero of the tavern can be led by the commander of the tavern to find a way to lift the curse."

"But the tavern... was also affected by the curse."

"However, it seems that the curse is very weak, only at the initial stage of level one."

"Now that I think about it, my place was probably already at level three, right?"

Borg smiled, but the smile was bitter.

This task is gradually emerging within the worldview of the world of obsession.

Wen Xishu found it hard to imagine what the real Desire Tower would be like.

He remained silent for a while, unable to come up with a solution.

There are 35 minutes left before the Curse of the Balance takes effect.

Everyone went through a lot of emotional turmoil during this process.

Wen Xishu kept trying to convince herself.

"Abandoned."

"Perhaps this game tests whether you can be an absolutely calm leader in the apocalypse."

"Perhaps the essence of this game is sacrifice."

"This is a contest between personal emotions and the fate of humanity."

"Abandon those whose functions are mediocre and can be completely replaced by me... retain Elsa and the evolved Cavendish, as well as the new Cabogor."

"They're not familiar with me. We've only known each other for less than one night, haven't we?"

Just do it this way, and give it up.

In fact, Wen Xishu could have done that. But he was still struggling with it.

If he were truly in a desperate situation, forced to make sacrifices, he would know what to do.

Has it really come to that? Is there really no other way?
At this moment, Colonel Devon stood up:
"Haha, Commander, your strength is truly amazing."

“Unlike the guide, which said Commander, you need our help… but in the last mission, I was the one who held everyone back.”

“Your power is too great. I believe you don’t need me at all… You can lead everyone forward without me.”

"So, so please let me stay!"

Colonel Dewen bowed to Wen Xishu.

Wen Xishu even saw the comments, but he couldn't interact with them.

Perhaps my mission has come to an end, and I should go... to join my soldiers.

This was what Colonel Devon was thinking.

Without a doubt, all of this came from the heart.

But the more this is the case, the less Wen Xishu wants such a person to die.

Wen Xishu had the answer in his mind.

"The key to solving the problem lies in population quotas. How do we obtain population quotas? Borg, do you know?"

Borg shook his head:

"I don't know, but according to conventional thinking, theoretically, a high completion rating... could potentially lead to a similar reward?"

Wen Xishu was unsure of this.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered the matter of upgrading the tavern.

The 30,000 tavern coins cannot improve the tavern's capabilities, and Wen Xishu has already used some of them.

The included abilities include options such as recruitment chances, and there is also a tavern specification.

Wen Xishu guessed:

“Our rating in the last level was S, which is already very high, but we can’t rule out the possibility of getting even higher.”

"After all, once we saw the door, we stopped exploring and went straight towards it."

"Perhaps we can explore this level further after the door appears."

"If the road ahead is destined to be abandoned, I can do so. But at least for now, I cannot abandon you all."

"Next, I will arrange for you all to go to the battlefield."

"As for myself, I stayed behind."

Wen Xishu had already come up with a plan. Since only four people could go on the expedition, one person had to stay behind.

Then you can stay here yourself.

As a commander, it's perfectly normal not to go to the front lines, isn't it?

Colonel Devon was shocked:

"No! Commander, my life is not worth comparing with yours."

“I am not the one who can lead everyone away according to the plan; you are. I will not regret this inevitable death; it was not a mistake in your command.”

The expressions on the faces of everyone else, including Borg, were also full of surprise.

Borg's favorability rating increased by 20 points.

Wen Xishu's selfless spirit made him feel that he was a commander worth following.

But deep down he also acknowledged one thing—Devin's life was worthless.

Perhaps Borg is the one who, like Wen Xishu, can view everyone through the lens of a game.

“This is a merciless apocalypse. Human value must be quantified. Those with low scores should be discarded.” Borg did not say this aloud.

Wen Xishu said:
“Listen, I’m not exchanging my life for something else, but I have something within me that can reverse the side effects of the curse.”

"It's not about offsetting, it's about subverting it, turning it into a positive effect. Understand?"

"So I'm not here to wait to die; on the contrary, my staying here is the most valuable thing. I'm even looking forward to the effects of the upheaval."

"And you four need to cooperate well. Borg is a newcomer, but he's also a key player in tackling this second level. I won't be able to witness the second level, the Mechanical City, in person..."

"But you can. Please cooperate carefully and make the most of your strengths."

Wen Xishu knew what methods to use to encourage this group of sentimental people.

He walked over to Colonel Devon:
“Brother Devon, you used to lead soldiers, so you can be the captain.”

"My purpose in staying here is to fight the curse and to ensure everyone survives."

"So... bring them all back to me, without missing a single one, understand?"

Colonel Devon was speechless for a moment, and after a long while, he finally said:

"You...you're really not lying to me? Are you sure you can block the curse?"

Wen Xishu said:
"I'm not some nobody who died on the road, Colonel Devon. You have to respect me!"

German immediately stood at attention:

"Then I promise to complete the mission. Rest assured, I will do my best to bring everyone back."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Okay, this is my tool, something that can give you the right guidance."

"And these gloves can nullify the opponent's items."

Wen Xishu directly revealed his trump card.

If I'm mistaken...

Then go to the second level yourself and take the item back.

Based on the difficulty of the first level, Wen Xishu did not believe that the next level would immediately reach a level that he could not pass.

Without him, he could only hope that these tools would help Devon and the others overcome the difficulties.

German's affection for Wen Xishu has reached its maximum.

Wen Xishu's field of vision also unlocked a message:
Colonel Devon's promotion/evolution conditions have been unlocked. Trigger conditions are unknown.

Upgrade: The card will directly evolve to the highest level it can evolve to.

Goodness, he must have been genuinely moved.

Wen Xishu quite liked the colonel. Although he criticized Cavendish for being sentimental, he was actually the same kind of person himself.

At the same time, he also noticed...

Evolution is divided into normal evolution, similar to Kaventim, which evolves from C to B.

There are also languages ​​like German, where C might evolve directly into A?

We don't know at this stage.

But without a doubt, once the favorability rating is maxed out, it can qualify for an upgrade and evolution.

Wen Xishu's actions just now undoubtedly boosted everyone's goodwill towards him.

However, he simply didn't have the time to use words to win over each person and maximize their favorability.

But he was looking forward to the day when Colonel Devon returned, so he wouldn't have to be a C-card player anymore.

"It's time to set off, everyone. Make sure you come back safely. I don't want my efforts to be in vain."

"Please don't ruin my perfect ending!" Wen Xishu cried out inwardly.

In the team list in the field of vision, Wen Xishu kicked himself out, and the four-person team became Hacker Borg, Doctor Elsa, Colonel Devon, and Sniper Cavendish.

In Wen Xishu's view, such a team is very versatile.

With his own compass and gloves, he wasn't too worried.

Although he was no longer in the team, the option to advance to the second stage was still initiated by Wen Xishu.

The countdown is almost over.

Wen Xishu said:
"Good luck and best of luck!"

Wen Xishu clicked to start the second level.

The next second, all the team members around them disappeared.

Wenxi Tree remained where it was.

The tavern suddenly became deserted.

The bartender can be considered a fixed NPC, with only a few lines of dialogue:

Would you like something to drink?

"What would you like?"

Wen Xishu asked several times, and after triggering all the lines, stopped chatting.

Everything is in the upgrade content; you need to upgrade the tavern first.

Normally, in the first level, it's almost impossible for a regular player to avoid this kind of sacrifice situation.

He can't either.

Wen Xishu had indeed been negligent; he hadn't explored the first level thoroughly enough. Although it was still S-rank, it was clear there was room for further improvement.

He was careless and underestimated the malice of the level.

But the good thing is...

He's cheating; he has a margin for error.

"The Dice of Madness is a really good thing. Its rules and mechanisms transcend the world of obsession."

"I don't know how Wen Chaohua got her."

Yes, by relying on the options rolled by the inverted dice—which are all over the place—Wen Xishu can bear the curse.

Turn the negative effects of a curse into positive ones.

By cheating, Wen Xishu managed to forcibly reverse a mistake this time.

But then again... since the Dice of Madness has chosen me, how can I not use it to my advantage?
Wenxi Tree began to wait quietly.

The one-hour countdown was already running out, and before long, the hour was up.

"Your team has exceeded the limit; you will be eliminated."

The instructions have been issued.

Wen Xishu also began to feel nervous.

"Dice Bro, don't let me down."

It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous, after all, this was a situation where I had to defy the rules and eliminate them.

But since it's called a curse, it must be a negative buff in itself.

The hourglass with a skull printed on it on the top of the Wenxi tree began to turn backward.

A curse has descended. The Evening Tree did not die!
The next second, Wen Xishu saw a number in his field of vision change.

The current number is 5/4.

In other words, the total population of the tavern at this stage can only be four.

Including the newly recruited Borg, there are a total of five, so it is displayed as 5/4.

Wenxi Tree, who remained at the tavern, should have died. That way, it wouldn't have exceeded the limit.

But because of the inconsistency, at this moment, the game's numerical values ​​began to show bugs.

Wen Xishu was shocked to discover that the current number of people had become 3/4.

"That's not right. Even if I died, it should be 4/4. How did it become 3/4?"

"It suddenly went from 5/4 to 3/4, two fewer people? And I'm still alive..."

"Holy crap, that's awesome?"

Wen Xishu understood immediately; he instantly grasped what was going on.

It's truly revolutionary.

The inverted dice, when flipped upside down, took up "1" of its own population, turning it into "-1" of its own population.

Therefore, at this moment, he played a subtractive role in the population quota.

His team not only did not exceed the limit, but he could even safely recruit another person.

"Damn, that's amazing!"

(End of this chapter)