Three Towers Game

Chapter 408 The Secret of the Heart of Fusion
Wen Xishu's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that 001 had already found a way to kill him?

Logically, now that he's out of the attack range of most teams, he should only be finished off by the chessboard, but right now, he's alive.

Wen Xishu pretended to remain calm:
"Go ahead."

001 Wen Xishu said:
"My universe is fake, all universes, except the one you live in, are fake."

what?
Wen Xishu was taken aback by this sudden remark.

It feels like when an enemy declares victory and then suddenly says, "I'm surrendering."

He stared at 001 in disbelief.

001 said:

"Thank goodness I am you, or rather... this test is a test for you."

Wen Xishu was still somewhat confused.

The other Wenxi Tree members were still fighting for their lives, but 001 had already figured out the truth of the whole game.

"It's extremely difficult to admit this. This game isn't really testing you; for you, perhaps all you need to do is stop being confused."

Yes, Wen Xishu was briefly confused before killing 045, but he quickly saw the situation clearly.

His mindset had changed somewhat, and he was no longer as confused as before.

But for 001, after overcoming their confusion, even greater challenges lie ahead.

"I've thought about it too. I can't run away. I shouldn't be confused. I should kill you."

“We’ve all been through this. But do you remember that pessimistic guy, that drunkard? The one who, in most people’s eyes, was the first to bring about his own downfall, was actually… a wise man.”

Wen Xishu was startled; he remembered the drunkard's meaningful look.

But unexpectedly, the drunkard actually pulled something.

"He died at my hands, but in reality, it was because his world was a completely hopeless world, a world where there was no way out."

"So he gave me the Eye of Sorrow."

"This also allowed me to see the ending of the world I live in. This ending is almost exactly the same as my prediction. It is real, and I can't see a way out."

Wen Xishu seemed to understand.

The world of 045 is a world without a chess game, but that's the deceptive part. If you think it's wonderful and sacrifice yourself, then this world can be invaded at any time.

The world of a drunkard is a game of chess that has reached its end, a dead end.

The world of 001 seems to have a way out, but upon extreme deduction, it will eventually lead to a dead end.

001 sensed something, but still clung to a sliver of hope, so the drunkard bestowed the Eye of Sorrow upon 001. It wasn't necessarily to help him; even the drunkard's meaningful glance might have simply been a glimpse of the final showdown between himself and 001.

Ultimately, after acquiring the Eye of Sorrow, 001 became completely convinced of the tragedy of his world.

He began looking for a way to break the deadlock.

But it was never found.

No longer feeling lost, but firmly believing that I am the only true self, is the most painful state to be in.

Especially when he discovers that there is only one answer in the end.

The less confused you are, the harder it is to accept.

Therefore, Wen Xishu was puzzled:

"What have you been through? Why has your attitude changed so drastically?"

001 said:

"I witnessed a miracle that could not have happened in my world."

Wen Xishu was even more puzzled:
"Leaving aside any miracles, do you think your world is fake because of this?"

001 nodded:
"Even if my world is destroyed before this miracle, even if the ending I predict is a dead end, I still believe that I will live and I will kill you."

“But it wasn’t until this miracle happened that I realized my world was fake. I spoke with Albert twice and finally became convinced of this.”

Is there something to do with the former principal in this?

Little did Wen Xishu know that her survival this time was related to too many people.

But he will only find out all this after he returns to the bunker.

“Albert will tell you all of this. I learned a lot from him after my second meeting with him.”

"These things made me see many irrational aspects of my own growth trajectory, even though they seemed so reasonable in my memory."

"But once you delve deeper, you'll find that some parts seem to have been deliberately modified by some mysterious force. Then one wrong step leads to another."

"It's like there's a hand that forcibly turned me into who I am now."

001 sighed:

"So I'm not confused again, Wen Xishu. I've never been confused. I've experienced more than you. But after I discovered that my world was fake and that I was the 'clone,' what could I do?"

"My will to survive made me consider killing you. Killing you would be too easy; my power is enough to slaughter everyone."

"But...that's not the right thing to do."

Wen Xishu truly hadn't expected such a wonderful turn of events.

He had no idea what a perilous situation he had just experienced. He was simply amazed that the old headmaster had actually saved him from the bunker, across endless time and space.

001 seemed to have discerned Wen Xishu's thoughts, and he corrected him:
“I need to remind you that this wasn’t all Albert’s doing. This journey to the Tower of Horrors was actually the most dangerous test you’ve ever faced. Your survival is entirely due to what happened.”

"My failures are also due to the past."

"Now I can confirm that there is no multiverse; everything is a simulation of the Tower of Ghosts. The various 'me's' you see are all fake."

"The Tower of Ghosts is a place that can accommodate a world of obsessions, and it's not difficult to do that. The various obsessions within the Tower of Ghosts can even be seen as real life."

After she was no longer confused, Wen Xishu realized all of this.

But 001's ability to go from not being confused to recognizing reality and accepting that he is not his true self... this process truly impressed Wen Xishu.

"All of this is a killing move aimed at you. Normally, it shouldn't have happened this fast. But you can interpret it as your tower-climbing efficiency being too high and your trajectory being altered too much, which has aroused the Outer God's suspicion."

"The Outer Gods granted me immense power to kill you. But the gods belonging to the Three Towers, in turn, complemented each of us here, granting us the same capacity for thought as you."

"Here, you can see the game between the two sides."

Wen Xishu understood.

This struggle between the hundred selves is essentially a means for the Outer God to obliterate itself. In fact, this is why the Tower of Ghosts is so dangerous.

However, the various ways to break the deadlock within the Tower of Deception are the methods of another god.

Currently, it seems that the Outer Gods have not yet fully descended, and the gods of the Three Towers also appear unable to fully awaken.

This may be related to the twelve zodiac signs.

Wen Xishu said:
"All of this happened a little too fast for me. It feels like you suddenly had a complete epiphany."

001 shook his head and said:
“It wasn’t sudden. I witnessed your entire life trajectory during the process of you falling into a coma. That’s when I realized the crux of the problem.”

"Listen carefully, the Outer Gods are beings no less than constellations, and many are even stronger than constellations. The power of the Tower attracted them, triggering this war. There are many Outer Gods, most of whom are our enemies, while a small number may be related to us."

"Climbing the tower can reverse the fate of some people who were destined to be touched by the Outer Gods. But it cannot reverse the fate of everyone."

"As for the reason, you should know very well."

After a moment's thought, Wen Xishu slowly nodded:
"Yes, I understand."

Wen Xishu's first time climbing the tower was on the 21st floor. There, she met Jack and Jennifer.

But there are many other tasks on the 21st floor.

Jack and Jennifer may not necessarily be the best "qualified ones".

But after that, Wen Xishu never went to the 21st floor again. Along the way, Wen Xishu did not experience the same floor again.

For example, after he formed a bond with the An brothers on the seventh floor and changed their fate, he never went to the seventh floor again.

Because of the high level of completion, the level will be raised each time.

This leads to a contradiction—

The higher your tower climbing completion rate, the less likely you are to appear on the same floor twice and receive different tasks at that floor.

However, if you reduce the completion rate of the tower climb, it won't completely change the trajectory of the target's fate, and you'll lose the point of climbing the tower.

Therefore, Wen Xishu was destined to be unable to change the course of everyone's fate.

In this world of despair, he could only allow a select few to become the main fighting force in the future Three Towers War.

That's all he can do. Wen Xishu recalled what Scorpio had said not long ago, and he said:
"I understand. I will pay attention to their thoughts, and I fully understand their importance."

001 nodded and continued:

"Secondly, be careful of some particularly crucial items, such as... the Heart of Fusion."

Just when Wen Xishu thought that 001 would repeat what Scorpio had said, he never expected that 001 would directly say the name of the prop.

"You must remember that some props appear out of nowhere, and some people who appear in your life are full of mysteries. You must be wary of these people, you absolutely must be wary!"

"They may not be bad people, but they themselves do not know their own fate, nor when they were targeted by the Outer Gods."

Wen Xishu thought of Mr. Jin.

When Aries first approached Mr. Kim, it seemed they were looking for a way to become a god without killing the constellation.

Finding this solution is indeed the wish of every zodiac sign.

That was the fate they all longed to escape.

Similarly, Mr. Jin Zhenyuan also has his own destiny and desires. He longs for the success of the Dragon Hidden Project, so he uses the things left behind by the Phoenix to create the Heart of Fusion.

At this moment, Wen Xishu suddenly understood the irrationality of the situation.

Such an incredible artifact, something that can fuse with the destiny of constellations, something that can control the monstrous consciousness of Long Xia…

Mr. Kim had it from the very beginning.

Sagittarius casually told himself these things at the time, but Sagittarius himself probably felt that there was something wrong with them.

The description at the time was as follows:

"But after Libra and Aries found Jin Zhenyuan, Jin Zhenyuan began to avoid contact with Long Xia and became a force of his own."

"It seems that Jin Zhenyuan knows some forbidden secrets. My personal guess is that the eldest sister and Libra used Jin Zhenyuan to conduct some kind of experiment."

"This experiment involved the Heart of Fusion, and in the process of using the Heart of Fusion, Jin Zhenyuan seemed to have discovered some secrets that I didn't know."

"In the end, he led his forces into the bunker."

Looking at this passage again now, Wen Xishu could already smell the scent of some kind of conspiracy.

At the time, he thought that Xiao Jin was a product of the Heart of Fusion, which allowed Xiao Jin to become anyone, even a constellation.

This prop is truly incredible, but when Xiao Jin was simulating Gemini, it actually split into two.

One of them was taken to the bunker by Mr. Kim.

Another one, carrying the Heart of Fusion, got lost on the battlefield of the Three Towers. In the end, Wen Xishu obtained the Heart of Fusion.

Looking back now, it was all very strange.

The Heart of Fusion seems to be the ultimate answer, capable of solving all problems, resolving the fate of the constellations hunting each other, and solving Longxia's problems...

However, Mr. Jin abandoned the Dragon Hidden Plan, and neither Aries nor Libra showed any interest in Xiao Jin.

Thinking about it carefully, even if Xiao Jin split into two, the ones guarding Xiao Jin at the time were Aries, Libra, and Mr. Jin. Logically speaking, Xiao Jin shouldn't have left.

Something strange must have happened back then.

Now it seems that the process of the birth of the Heart of Fusion, and the process of acquiring it, are all very inexplicable.

It's practically a trap.

"I've already used the Heart of Fusion once. I've already bound my fate to Sagittarius. Will something bad happen?"

Wen Xishu asked 001.

001 said:

"Stop using it. Just leave it here. You and Sagittarius will be fine until you've incorporated enough bait."

"I'm sorry, that's all I can tell you. There's more I don't know. But I'm very clear that the Heart of Fusion is not the right answer."

"If that's the case, this thing will never end up in your hands. Aries is very smart; she's noticed something amiss."

Wen Xishu said:
"So, do the constellations... really have to hunt each other down? Isn't there any other way?"

001 Shaking head:

“In my universe, their fate is inescapable. At first, everyone thought that it would be good if one or two constellations died, so that everyone could become stronger and be able to deal with the Outer Gods.”

"But the more constellations that die, the more Outer Gods will be unsealed."

"But if we don't hunt each other down, it seems we can't compete with the Outer Gods."

"This is an unsolvable dead end; I see no hope. The cursed fate of these constellations remains unresolved."

"In your universe, these constellations may not be unaware of the existence of Outer Gods, and some constellations may even have already begun to plan to deal with Outer Gods."

"But the situation will only get more and more difficult, and they will eventually think of hunting each other to complete their evolution."

"However, in your universe, there may be hope, and perhaps the right answer to all the questions lies in your journey of climbing the Tower of Ghosts."

"To change more people, to help the constellations find more resonance and belonging, or to help more people find their own humanity and not be controlled by external gods."

"This is the most different part of our chessboard."

Wen Xishu still felt some regret.

This 001 is a product of the Tower of Ghosts simulation, but it is indeed no different from the real me.

His temperament is in no way inferior to mine.

But for some questions, you still have to figure out the answers yourself.

The game continues, with more and more Wenxi Trees being eliminated, while 001 and Wenxi Trees are getting closer and closer to the central throne.

With only one more throw left to reach the throne, 001 raised his hand.

"I abstain. I withdraw. I accept all penalties for withdrawing."

All the Wenxi Trees were taken aback.

001 said:

"This journey through the Tower of Ghosts is coming to an end. I quite miss the moment I returned to the Land of Guidance. I hope you've gained enough. Finally, I hope my departure will bring you something as well."

This is 001's last sentence: abstaining means giving up one's own universe and one's own survival, something every Wenxi Tree understands very well.

[The universe of Wen Xishu No. 001 has been destroyed. Based on causal relationships, Wen Xishu of Universe 046 obtained the special relic "Extraterrestrial Nemesis" from Wen Xishu of Universe 001.]

[Outland Slayer: Your magic resistance will grant you additional resistance to Outland abilities and the ability to interpret and identify Outland loot. Your kill cap will provide additional damage and resistance against Outland creatures.]

Wen Xishu suddenly wanted to see if any other notes would appear on the Heart of Fusion.

He did not feel sentimental about 001's sacrifice, but became increasingly aware of how difficult it would be to fight the future enemy.

Amidst countless astonished gazes, Wen Xishu threw the dice and strode towards the throne.

He finally reached the central throne.

At this point, the central throne offered a special interpretation of the rule:

[Your dedication within your ranks is exceptional, and you will be recognized by the throne. Congratulations on becoming the sole owner of the throne.]

Wen Xishu wasn't surprised.

The reason he initially accepted the path of danger was because of a clause in the game's rules—

Hopefully, your teammates didn't choose the weakest characters. Of course, here's a piece of advice—you'd better put in more effort than your teammates.

Those who choose the inauspicious path will naturally pay a higher price than those who choose the auspicious path.

However, those who take the auspicious path may not necessarily lose, since those who take the inauspicious path may die halfway through.

[Congratulations on completing the third round of challenges. After this round, only "I" remain; the battle for survival among a hundred has ended. We are about to proceed to the Land of Guidance.]

The game ended, and Wen Xishu was thankfully not eliminated by our false selves.

He let out a long sigh, but suddenly felt a sense of loss.

Strictly speaking, his normal tower-climbing level is around fifty or sixty floors, which is considered an intermediate stage. But now, he has sensed that what he has come into contact with involves the core of origin.

Moreover, the difficulty is also increasing dramatically.

Wen Xishu became increasingly curious about whether there would be more of these special challenges later on.

However, he feels much more relaxed now.

"I always felt that the 'Questioning the Heart' would ask some strange questions. Coincidentally, I'm also very curious about what this 'Questioning the Heart' is."

(End of this chapter)