Three Towers Game

Chapter 304 Drawing a "Fake Scorpio"

Tianping Tavern.

Faced with the overly gamified scenes in the tavern, artist Enzo realized something:

The one who can defeat God must be another God.

Perhaps they are just pawns, and those with the names of constellations are the real players.

I just don't know if the commander in front of me is a pawn of some constellation or a real, powerful being from the human side.

Enzo clearly didn't talk much to the others.

This time, Wenxi Tree achieved an SSS-level rating and received a hidden quest reward. He is currently upgrading the tavern.

But other people's experience was—we entered the third level, we woke up, we won.

Although Nicole made a contribution, it really gave the impression that the commander went deep into enemy territory alone, and we won inexplicably.

Therefore, people did not experience the joy of winning after giving their all.

They were all somewhat bewildered. Faced with the newcomer Enzo, they all knew... he was not on their level. They were pragmatists, while Enzo was already powerful enough to fight the curse alone.

Therefore, communication is not easy.

The tavern was quiet.

Everyone has their own thoughts.

As a hacker, Borg inquired about the previous level and felt that the difficulty curve had changed too much.

In the third stage, without Nicole, the entire team would basically be wiped out. After all, the final boss becomes an ally, and based on the boss's abilities, you can guess the outcome.

"If Enzo wakes up, even with Nicole, we still can't win..."

"Then, for the fourth level... is there really any point in having people like us with ordinary abilities? Will I be abandoned?"

Borg was very concerned about the issue of exceeding the population quota.

So does everyone else.

Enzo didn't think he would die, after all, his abilities were far superior to the other heroes. But he was also concerned about how to solve the problem.

……

Wen Xishu remained silent, as if she hadn't noticed anyone else at all.

The options he sees are invisible to others.

At this moment, the tavern was devoid of the joy of clearing the first two levels; everyone was filled with anxiety.

Having received an SSS-level rating, Wen Xishu naturally knew the contents of the fourth level in advance.

"The land of division. Every death is a new beginning. Find the power to stop its endless regeneration... Otherwise, it will be invincible, it will devour everything."

This is the fourth level.

The difficulty curve is indeed unreasonable; Wen Xishu seems to have guessed the situation of the fourth level.

But he was struggling with whether or not to recruit specifically from this group.

Wen Xishu currently has a total of 170,000 tavern coins.

It is worth mentioning that there are indeed ways to increase population quotas—

[Upgrade Tavern Expeditionary Force Size: 150,000 Tavern Coins]

The problem is that after scaling up, it becomes impossible to recruit precisely.

"150,000... are needed to exchange for one person."

Wen Xishu frowned.

If things go completely wrong, and then they go completely insane again, they'll end up correcting their negative population ratio, making the over-limit situation even more serious.

"Without precise recruitment, the difficulty will inevitably increase dramatically."

In the third level, Wen Xishu was actually lucky to have the Nightmare Pardon sequence, but if he didn't... then Nicole is the key to everything.

"Now it seems that targeted recruitment is absolutely necessary."

I escaped a difficult choice by using a cheat, but the game is long enough that skipping class means I have to catch up.

"Should we increase the population, or sacrifice one person for targeted recruitment?"

Wen Xishu's expression was calm, and he didn't seem to be having any trouble.

That's because he knew everyone was watching him, and he didn't want anyone to notice—the tavern itself was a life-or-death gamble.

"I have two cheating methods: Proficiency and the Dice of Madness. I can even borrow Tower Power to summon Archer's Punishment... No matter how strong the opponent is, I can theoretically deal with them without recruiting them."

In fact, by this point, Wen Xishu had already realized that the difficulty of the levels had increased dramatically, and Lao Ka could no longer keep up with the intensity.

But Wen Xishu had already adopted a strategy of not giving up, and he felt it wouldn't be appropriate to abandon the game at this point.

After hesitating for a long time, Wen Xishu smiled and said:

"Alright, the population problem is solved. Because we won another great victory in the last level, we have too many resources. I compared the optimal strategies for a while."

"Now, our population quota is 5/5."

Enzo already knows that Commander Wen Xishu has somehow altered the population count, so seven people are only counted as five.

Wen Xishu said:
"Next, we'll head to the fourth level. The enemies in this level will most likely be quite troublesome."

Colonel Devon noticed that there was no sound outside the door this time:
"Commander, if it really comes to the point where someone has to be sacrificed to advance the front line, please choose to let me die."

Colonel Devon was quite perceptive.

This time, Wen Xishu did not recruit anyone else, which means that the commander may have made some kind of compromise.

Wen Xishu smiled and said:
"That's not true. I always believe that things will work themselves out. Everyone, our team is growing bigger and bigger, which is a good thing."

"Let's forget the shadow of the curse and go conquer the next place."

In the first and second trials, Wen Xishu realized the impact of the curse on some people.

After delving deeper into the third level, Wen Xishu found the artist and learned about the broader context.

He had a feeling that the fourth level, perhaps not the final level, would definitely uncover more secrets. The secrets of Libra would surely interest Sagittarius as well.

“This level doesn’t require recruitment, so I’ve saved some money. Enzo and I should be able to handle this level on our own.”

"The enemy's stats are probably overpowered in this level, so be careful. Enzo and I will go first, and you guys will go last."

"Furthermore, Colonel Devon, you are not allowed to stand in my way without my instructions."

“Listen, I can’t abandon you, but I don’t want you to die in the scenes to come. The thing everyone has to do is survive.”

Team synergy +5.

Wen Xishu saw the notification again. The team's tacit understanding wasn't some meaningless statistic; in crucial moments, it could save the team a lot of communication.

Colonel Devon said:

"I understand. I'll do whatever you say, Commander."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Let's rest for a while and then set off. Perhaps in the next level... we'll be able to uncover more of the secrets behind the Curse of the Balance."

Wen Xishu closed his eyes and began to rest.

Because of his composure, the others were less anxious.

Wen Xishu didn't know how many levels were left in the game; what if there were a dozen or so more...?

It's really hard for him to do that, to never abandon his teammates.

"Along the way, everyone has been fighting against the Curse of the Balance, even the regional bosses... I wonder if anyone has really found a way out."

Yes, there is such a thing: just run away, regardless of the lives of others. But the problem is that many of the capable individuals along the way have a high level of morality.

For example, Enzo couldn't bear to abandon the people in the town.

So he can't escape. Actually, Wen Xishu is a lot like Enzo now. If they didn't care about the ties between humans, they could both be very carefree.

By now, Wen Xishu's goal is no longer solely to achieve a "perfect completion." His reluctance to abandon Devon and the others is partly due to his belief that these individuals deserve to live.

But because of this, he found himself in a predicament similar to that of the scientist and Enzo.

Wen Xishu couldn't help but wonder... would the commander in the Tower of Desire eventually, like the other bosses, create a distorted area in order to fight the curse?
Could it be... this very game right before our eyes?
Scorpio may just be an auxiliary sign; the person who constructs the game may be someone else, since astrology cannot directly construct a world of obsession.

Wen Xishu shook his head; he had to admit that his mind was in turmoil.

……

……

The fourth level.

Almost all the levels take place in towns or even cities.

The map for the fourth level was very large, making Wen Xishu feel as if he had arrived at the Tower of Slaughter, or in a certain city.

In the distance, you can see many buildings exuding a black aura, as well as a few buildings exuding a red aura.

Those are black houses and red houses.

Upon seeing these auras, Wen Xishu was startled. He was still worried about the lack of sufficient combat power to fight the Red House.

Don't be fooled by Albert's ability to take down enemies with a single punch; for others, running away is still the only option.

Fortunately, the compass needle did not point to the red house.

Colonel Devon stood in front of Nicole, Borg, and Elsa, with sniper Cavendish at the very back.

Wen Xishu and Enzo walked at the front, one on the left and one on the right, like guardian deities.

Enzo said:

"Wait, let me draw something first."

Wen Xishu nodded.

He has tools like a compass, but Enzo also has his own ways of finding clues. The value of an SSS-class hero will soon become apparent.

Before long, Enzo's hand holding the paintbrush trembled rapidly, and someone Wen Xishu had seen before appeared.

A child wearing a light blue suit appears in Enzo's painting.

Wen Xishu pondered... Isn't this a Scorpio?

Enzo said:

"Ever since I discovered that the gods who grant wishes are not as effective as this little boy, I draw him whenever I encounter a problem."

Wen Xishu was delighted; it really worked.

In this world, nothing works as well as drawing constellations as genies or dragons.

The little boy in the painting soon began to move; he gracefully stepped out of the painting and came to life!

At this moment, Wen Xishu was shocked by Enzo's ability. Good heavens, he had even encountered Sai, the one who was chasing after the anime?

“Don’t expect him to fight. Just ask him simple questions… anything too complicated will fail,” Enzo said.

The drawn Scorpio also said:

"Yes, brother, I was just drawn this time. I can't even have one-thousandth of my original abilities. I can just ask questions. Don't expect me to deal with Libra."

Wen Xishu was shocked once again.

The tone was even like that of a Scorpio.

Not only was Wen Xishu surprised, but Enzo was also somewhat astonished.

Enzo looked like he'd seen a ghost, partly because this Scorpio actually called Wen Xishu "brother".

On the other hand, it is even more sinister.

At that moment, he was thinking: Something's not right. I was obviously in a bit of a rush this time... Logically speaking, it didn't reach my peak level, but why—he spoke more fluently?
In the past, Enzo's depictions of Scorpio could speak and answer questions.

However, his speech is halting and intermittent, sometimes even pausing, and his movements are slightly stiff, not to mention the lack of intonation and emotional expression.

This time, even though his drawing was rather hasty, the little boy's tone and reaction were unusually natural and genuine.

Don't expect me to deal with Libras, the sentence even carried a hint of mockery.

Enzo looked at his hands:
Could it be that my strength has increased?
Wen Xishu's attention wasn't on Enzo, and he didn't notice anything amiss with Enzo. He assumed this was Enzo's ability.

He just felt that Enzo was really too strong.

It's so natural... even the things drawn can mimic the tone of voice and social relationships of the original person.

"How can we maximize our benefits at this juncture?" Wen Xishu asked directly.

The drawn Scorpion said:
“There are finished formations, but there are also inferior ones. This level happens to have an inferior one. Just defeat the inferior one.”

“Keep following this path and you will enter a strange area. Don’t worry about missing it; there will be a guide in that area.”

"You won't die in this area, but don't be reckless and cause yourself any death or injury, or something really disgusting will happen."

"There's not much of a storyline; this level is purely a combat level. There are duels in the Tower of Ghosts too."

"Defeat the inferior one, defeat the inferior demon king, listen to the demon king's dying words, and know that the demon king had no choice, that the demon king also had his reasons..."

"I know he was driven mad too. Then move on to the next level to defeat an even stronger... finished Demon King. Brother, you'll be fine, you're full of treasures. And this level will be a great boost for you."

Wen Xishu thought it was too similar. Aside from the somewhat rough lines, it was practically Scorpio's own tone:

Is there a way to solve the population quota problem?

Scorpio shrugs:

"Games are about making choices. Remember this: don't use sunk costs in important decisions. Brother, do you think... in a war like this, it's reasonable for no one to die?"

Scorpio glanced at his watch:

"Well, I've answered enough questions, I should go back now."

His figure began to slowly disappear.

Wen Xishu wanted to ask a crucial question, but Scorpio seemed to be deaf to it.

He could understand; after all, it was drawn, and being able to answer one or two questions was already quite good.

But Enzo, standing beside him, already sensed it... This time, there wasn't even any physical exertion.

He usually gets exhausted after drawing constellations, especially after the other person answers some questions.

But this time, the horoscope answered the questions with incredible detail and fluency, to the point that he felt like, "Did I borrow money from some loan shark?" Otherwise, how could I possibly do something like this?

"You... could it be that I'll become stronger if I'm in your team?" Enzo suddenly blurted out.

The abruptness of the statement startled Wen Xishu, who then said:
"Yes, they are the same. You might find that they suddenly become as powerful as you."

Wen Xishu was talking about card evolution, while Enzo was talking about how he didn't consume any resources after drawing Scorpio.

The two were not on the same wavelength, but Enzo assumed the other had already answered.

At this moment, he was no longer aloof and no longer had the airs of an SSS-level hero. Before, he had looked down on Wen Xishu's makeshift team.

He might be willing to cooperate with Wen Xishu, but in his view, Devon and the others were too weak.

But after this experience, he felt a deep respect for Wen Xishu.
"Commander, I will do my best!"

Wen Xishu nodded, not understanding why Enzo was suddenly so agitated.

He looked ahead:
“Let’s go, let’s follow this road.”

The term "inferior demon king," though used by Scorpio, sounds rather low-end, but that's Scorpio for you.

To Wen Xishu, even the dust in the eyes of God is a mountain.

However, he seemed to have overlooked one thing: this hurdle was actually a great source of nourishment for him.

(End of this chapter)