Chapter 303: Colosseum (Part 11) – “Humans are Slaves to Desire”

Amidst continuous announcements, some players successively transformed into beams of light and entered the tower, while the remaining players returned to their respective rooms to retrieve and don their masks.

Nian Fu was an exception.

Since Qi Si had conveniently brought her mask out earlier, she tidied herself up directly within the black cube and appeared before the players in animal form.

The players saw a giant tiger appear where Nian Fu should have been, slowly walking towards the chessboard and stopping on a specific square.

The tiger looked very old, with several patches of damaged fur. However, from the white mist swirling around its body and its greenish-blue tiger eyes, one could still glimpse its past might.

Though its appearance was a bit strange, and the art style somewhat mismatched.

Soon, all the other players also put on their masks and, guided by the cursor, stood on the chessboard.

They then noticed that the distribution of chess piece types seemed a bit odd.

—There were two tigers, but not a single fox… Ninth Floor of the High Tower.

After consuming a game coin, Qi Si felt his vision momentarily darken. When he could see again, he was already in a completely unfamiliar place.

He sat by a river, the smooth, round pebbles beneath him covering the riverbank, and the water before him was clear and pristine, reflecting his image like a mirror.

Qi Si looked around. Endless forests stretched in all directions, and the seemingly limited space inside the tower appeared boundless. He couldn’t find the transparent wall, and naturally, couldn’t glimpse what lay beyond it.

An eight-hour countdown appeared in the upper left corner of his vision. Combining this with The Goat’s previous words, he could deduce this was the duration of today’s Colosseum Game.

However, another constantly changing set of numbers appeared in the lower right corner of his vision:

【00:59:59】

A one-hour countdown?

Qi Si stared at the time, deep in thought.

The next second, he felt his wrist grabbed by a cold hand, wet as if it had just been pulled from the water.

He lowered his head and saw a pale, wrinkled arm reaching out from under the water, clinging to his wrist.

The arm didn’t use much force; its touch seemed only to draw his attention.

Qi Si followed the arm and saw his reflection in the water showing a gentle smile, nodding as if in greeting, then slowly retracting its hand back into the water.

“Hello, other me.” The reflection’s voice was clear and identical to his. “I’ve been soaking in the water for too long and suddenly feel a bit bored. Are you interested in switching places with me?”

The tone sounded like someone dragging a snakeskin bag full of dismembered bodies up the back mountain, then bumping into an acquaintance and asking them to help carry something.

Qi Si asked with interest, “If I say I’m not interested, will you give up?”

“No.” The reflection’s smile was sincere. “How about this, let’s play a game, just three rounds, best of three. If you win, I’ll let you leave.

“If you lose, I will take your place on shore. And you will replace me, lying forever in this cold river water.

“Anyway, I am you, and you are me. It’s a very worthwhile trade, isn’t it, to compete and keep the superior one?”

Qi Si stood up and turned to leave.

However, just as he was about to step into the forest, an invisible force gently gripped his shoulder, pushing him back to the riverbank and pressing him back down to sit.

“That sounds like a good game, and it seems I can’t refuse.” Qi Si calmly looked down at the river surface, as if nothing had just happened. “Since it’s come to this, tell me the rules of the game first.”

The reflection smiled and said, “It’s a very simple game: rock-paper-scissors. Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock. If the same gesture is made, it’s a draw.

“You have an hour to think… hmm, it seems a few minutes were just wasted, you only have fifty-four minutes left.”

Qi Si also smiled: “I don’t think playing such a boring game can really assess one’s skill level based on the outcome… By the way, do you and I conform to the principle of mirror reflection?”

The reflection said with a beaming smile, “At least for gestures, I believe we do.”

Gestures conforming to the principle of mirror reflection meant that no matter what gesture Qi Si made, the gesture of his counterpart in the water would be the same as his.

Because he was his shadow, his reflection and replica in the water, and thus should be… identical.

The reflection continued, “But a thought suddenly occurred to me: perhaps I am not your reflection, but you are mine? Do you remember the Dialectical Game instance?”

Qi Si narrowed his eyes but didn’t take the bait. Instead, he pondered seriously, “This game doesn’t seem to have much suspense. By the way, if we draw, how is the winner decided?”

“A draw also counts as my win.” The reflection’s smile remained. “The one who sets the rules always gets more privileges, don’t they?”

“Hmm, a very unfair game.” Qi Si always had a bit more patience with himself, maintaining a conversational attitude even at this point. “It’s still early, and I want to live a bit longer, so let’s chat some more.

“For example, let’s talk about—what is your desire?”

…Outside the tower, Chu Xun, as the other tiger, was the first to move one square towards Nian Fu’s “tiger.”

Only four squares remained between the two tigers, one real and one fake.

It must be said, Green, as a muscular teammate, was very effective when he didn’t have to think for himself.

Entering the tower around the same time, he quickly defeated the NPC in the mini-game, gaining an early advantage.

In the reward selection phase, there were three options: 【One Action Point】, 【Five Hundred points】, and 【Two Portions of Food】.

Green chose the action point, as Chu Xun had instructed beforehand.

They were far ahead in points, so the need wasn’t urgent. As for food, with points available, it could be resolved to some extent.

And action points were related to a different set of game rules for strategizing, so the more, the better.

Rationally speaking, the six teams on the animal chess board should ideally adhere to the principle of ‘if the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move,’ and not infringe upon each other.

But Chu Xun had other plans.

He needed points; he needed to accumulate the three thousand points that might help him achieve his wish before Chang Xu killed Qi Si and ended the instance.

That wish had been buried deep in his heart for too long, growing increasingly distant over the years. Every time he saw the required points amount hanging overhead in the Game Space, he felt despair.

The Sphinx’s question, however, offered him a glimmer of hope. Even if it seemed false and absurd, he couldn’t help but reach out to grasp it.

Just try it… it might even be real?

Therefore, Chu Xun needed to be the first to act, setting the tone for a chaotic free-for-all.

He would draw more people into this no-win struggle, and then, as much as possible, extract the benefits he needed from it.

If he could kill Nian Fu, all the better.

He hoped Qi Si would last longer; the simplest way was to let Nian Fu die, transfer her game coins to Qi Si, and let Qi Si stay in the tower for a while longer.

Even if he couldn’t kill Nian Fu, he could use this as a threat, forcing those who wanted to harm Qi Si to offer him benefits in exchange for his inaction.

【Congratulations, your team has gained 1 Action Point. Please choose your action within 10 minutes.】

Another countdown appeared in Chu Xun’s vision shortly after Green cleared the game.

This game seemed to enjoy using countdowns to disturb players’ minds and hasten decisions.

Chu Xun stood up and walked towards Nian Fu.

Ultimately, humans are slaves to desire, and he was no exception… Ninth Floor of the High Tower.

Qi Si asked the reflection, “What is your desire?”

“My desire…” The reflection half-closed its eyes and sneered, “My desire is to climb up and replace you, then kick you into the water to soak.”

He reached out to pull Qi Si again, as usual, limply and without much strength.

Qi Si let him pull, feigned contemplation for a moment, then said, “I think if I were you, lying in your position, I’d have the same desire—but some guy said I have no desires.”

The reflection said earnestly, “You’re not lying in my position, of course you have no desires.”

“What’s the difference?” Qi Si asked very seriously, “Didn’t you also say? You are me, and I am you.”

The reflection tilted its head and thought for a moment, then said, “Originally, I had no desires either, because I was just lying in the water, not knowing who I was or where I was going.

“But after you came, I knew I was you, remembered many things, and realized I didn’t like the feeling of being soaked in water.

“And I imagine you’re much the same; you’ve never been soaked in water, so you don’t know how painful it is, and naturally, you don’t know how happy it is to live on land.

“You know nothing, nor have you experienced what I have experienced, so how could you have the desire to leave?”

“Is that so?” Qi Si propped his chin and stared at his reflection in the water. After a long time, he said, “I understand.”

The next second, he leaned forward and plunged into the water… Following Green, Qin Mu also cleared a game and chose 【One Action Point】.

She was teleported back to the chessboard outside the tower, hurriedly moved one square away from other players, and then returned to the tower.

She was the 【Cat】, at the bottom of the food chain among all player teams, and alone, making her a walking supply station.

Any ambitious player would try to target her; she had to ensure her own safety before considering anything else.

The third person to clear the game was Chang Xu, who chose 【Five Hundred points】.

Lin Ye and Lena Ann made the same choice.

No one wanted their team’s points to be at the bottom. If one person chose to climb the ranks with five hundred points, it was naturally better for others to follow suit.

After almost everyone completed the first round of games, the players outside the tower simultaneously turned their gaze to the Ninth Floor of the High Tower.

There, Qi Si lay half-dead in the water, seemingly chatting happily with the NPC.

“What exactly does he want to do?” Liu Yuhan muttered to herself.

She had more contact with Qi Si and knew what a cunning old fox he was, so she couldn’t help but have a bad premonition.

What was originally thought to be a sure thing didn’t seem foolproof at all; there would likely be unforeseen complications… “He’s stalling for time,” Fan Zhanwei said. “During the eight hours the Colosseum Game lasts each day, players can theoretically harm each other. He must ensure he remains inside the tower during these eight hours so that he isn’t directly killed by certain people.”

Dong Xiwen clicked his tongue, “Good heavens, but I feel like it’s not much safer inside the tower than outside. Playing rock-paper-scissors with your own reflection and having to win—is that a game a human could come up with? By the way, why do I feel like the game he’s matched with is so much harder than everyone else’s, huh!”

Chu Xun adjusted his glasses, “Based on others’ completion speed, I suspect everyone is matched with a game that is just within their respective capabilities. Qi Si probably already knows the solution; he just needs to drag out the time until the very last second.”

Nian Fu had long known Qi Si’s plan; they had discussed all the details before parting ways.

She looked at Chu Xun, who was only four squares away from her, and said with a half-smile, “Little Brother Chu, it seems you’re not completely clueless after all.

“Knowing that Qi Si wants to hide in the tower and not come out, you’re still determined to devour me to transfer my game coins to him—

“How is it that I didn’t know you two had reached a cooperation agreement?”

“I’m just doing it for myself.” Chu Xun’s expression and tone were completely open. “Only three thousand points to achieve a wish—such a good opportunity. I want to at least try it before ending this instance.”

Liu Yuhan shook her head slightly, “You’ve miscalculated. A team only has six game coins, which translates to six action points, or three thousand points, or six portions of food.

“You have one thousand points. To achieve your wish, you need another two thousand points, which means four game coins. And to kill Nian Fu, you need to spend at least five game coins.”

“That’s right.” Chu Xun nodded. “So if I insist on killing Nian Fu, it will result in a lose-lose situation. However, we all still have another option.

“I remember that points can be lent. I also know that someone always needs to choose food as a reward to meet the consumption of two portions of food per day.”

Capital expansion often doesn’t rely on direct effort, but on transactions.

Since transactions existed, acts like price gouging and empty promises have emerged and become rampant.

By seizing the opportunity, one might not necessarily be unable to make a big gain from a small investment.

Dong Xiwen blinked, then asked, “You mean you want us to lend you points, and then your team will be responsible for solving the food problem? Wait, why can’t we just choose food ourselves after clearing the game, instead of exchanging points with you?”

As of now, Chu Xun and Green, and Lin Ye and Fan Zhanwei’s teams both have a total of one thousand seven hundred points, tied for first place.

Dong Xiwen and Lena Ann have one thousand six hundred points, ranking third.

Chang Xu and Liu Yuhan, one thousand five hundred points, fourth.

Nian Fu, Qi Si, and Qin Mu all have one thousand one hundred points, at the bottom.

The rankings changed dramatically in an instant, though no one could say what this change meant yet.

Chu Xun lifted his eyelids, glanced at the top of the tower, and said blandly, “Because your points are far lower than our team’s. And I believe that points are roughly equal to advantage and speaking rights.”