Trickster Hunter.

Chapter 14 Humanity and Reason

“When was the last time you made a decision?”

"What is the thing you least want to face?"

"The blood-black nothingness began to weave a network, with cells connecting to each other and then to the main trunk."

The question was once again transformed into a poem, and Sun Hang immediately repeated it:

"The blood-black nothingness began to weave a network, with cells connecting to each other and then to the main trunk."

"What is the most frightening thing you've ever dreamed of? Reconnect with that trunk."

The verses played by the electronic synthesizer began to repeat and appeared at the end of the questions, so Sun Hang also began to repeat the repeated verses and words.

"Reconnect to the main trunk."

“Connected.”

“Connected.”

"Do you feel that humans are your kind? Cells."

"cell."

"What was the last time you had a strong emotional fluctuation? Connected."

“Connected.”

"What does survival mean to you? Connection."

“Connected.”

"So against the backdrop of darkness,"

"So against the backdrop of darkness," Sun Hang recounted.

"Shows a fountain with a column of white water gushing upward."

"Shows a fountain with a column of white water gushing upward."

"Do you feel that you are no longer human?"

“Do you often feel hungry?”

“Have you ever thought about the meaning of your existence?”

"What does your ideal opposite-sex partner look like?"

“Have you ever felt unbearable hunger??”

The electronic synthesized voice asked five questions in succession, followed by a twenty-one-word poem.

"Through the smoke I glimpsed a tall, white fountain, and I woke with a start."

"I saw through..."

Before Sun Hang could finish repeating the poem, an electronic synthesized voice interrupted him: "The test is over."

"Is it over?" Sun Hang was slightly stunned. The lights in the room had returned to normal, and the psychedelic feeling of floating in the space disappeared in an instant.

It was as if he was pulled back to the surface of the earth by gravity, fresh air rushed into his alveoli, and his blood began to flow again. The door of the room was pushed open, but it was not the staff in heavy protective clothing who walked in, but the woman who had been standing next to the old man in the wheelchair.

"Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Yang Qi, and I'm a doctoral student at the Tianfu City Institute of Weird Things." As she spoke, she walked closer and tore off the electrodes that were stuck to Sun Hang's body.

"Then should I call you Dr. Yang?" Sun Hang asked casually.

"I haven't gotten my doctorate yet... although I've been here for seven years." Yang Qi sighed, "I've seen many people infected by the Weird Virus, but only a very small number of them can become Weird Hunters... The vast majority of people, in the end..."

At this point, she paused and turned to look into Sun Hang's eyes: "The assessment is not over yet, there is one last question... This question is different from the previous ones, you must give a clear answer."

"what is the problem?"

"Suppose you become a monster hunter and encounter a monster that is many times more powerful than what is described in the intelligence during a mission. You cannot destroy it by your own strength alone. At this time, the connection between you and the investigation bureau headquarters is cut off by some mysterious force. You cannot report this intelligence or request support."

Yang Qi continued, "You made many attempts, but all failed without exception. In despair, you found a way to eliminate the monster..."

"any solution?"

"I won't go into detail about how to do it. It's not important. In short, there is an opportunity to destroy the monster in front of you, but as a price, you need to use a nearby village as bait to lure the monster there."

“Have the villagers evacuated?”

"No, the villagers did not receive any notification... Normally, the action plans of investigators and hunters are top secret. No one will know about your actions except the military units or sheriffs who cooperate with you." Yang Qi said.

"Then how many casualties will be caused if the monster is lured into the village?"

"Everyone in the village will die. No one will be spared."

"What is the chance of successfully destroying the weirdo?"

"One hundred percent." Yang Qi said, "You don't have to consider the probability, nor do you have to think of other methods. This is a very simple multiple-choice question. You have to sacrifice hundreds of villagers in exchange for the chance to destroy a powerful monster. You just need to make your choice."

"I don't think I will encounter such a situation. The conditions you gave are too idealistic." Sun Hang shrugged. "In my opinion, the most likely scenario is that all the villagers are slaughtered, and then they find out that this so-called opportunity is actually useless... How can there be such a cheap thing in the world - only needing to sacrifice a few hundred people to get rid of a BOSS-level monster."

"So, you also think this exchange is a good deal, right?" Yang Qi and Sun Hang looked at each other, "So, what is your choice?"

"Is this a test of my morals?"

"You can think of it this way. As a hunter, when acting independently, you have to choose between humanity and rationality. Which one do you choose?"

"Let me think about it." Sun Hang waved his hand and looked away.

This woman's gaze was too sharp, and Sun Hang always felt uncomfortable when looking into her eyes.

"This is the only chance to kill the monster. If you miss this opportunity, not only will you die, but it will also lead to a more serious disaster... By then, more than a few hundred people will die." Yang Qi's tone was full of inducement, "Even if you choose not to sacrifice those hundreds of people, they will not survive. After the monster kills you, this small village so close to you will not be able to survive... When the monster appears in this location, the fate of these hundreds of people is already determined."

"In other words, their only fate is death?"

"Yes, this is not a trolley problem. It doesn't mean that you can just move the track to the other side and let these people survive." Yang Qi emphasized again.

"So, in previous hunting operations, when you encountered similar situations, how did you deal with them?" Sun Hang asked, "In order to eliminate the strange creatures, will you spare no expense? Does this price... include civilians?"

"We should put it another way. We will choose to 'minimize the damage'," said Yang Qi.

"I think I understand what it means."

"So, your choice is...?" Yang Qi stood up, took a half step back, and looked at him with a burning gaze.

(End of this chapter)