Chapter 250

Chapter 250

Xiao Siyu remarked, "The murals don't specify, but I'd guess the consequences wouldn't be pleasant. I'd advise against trying."

"I definitely won't. I was just curious," Zhan Meng scratched his head and proceeded to walk towards the temple's central square pool. Glancing down, he froze, "Why are these stones floating?"

As commonly known, stones generally don't float in water.

So, when everyone followed Zhan Meng and saw the spherical stones bobbing in the square pool, their expressions were a mix of astonishment.

Li Chanyi, with her delicate eyebrows furrowed, asked, "Are these aerolite stones?"

Aerolite stones, also known as 'floating stones', are formed from solidified lava after volcanic eruptions. They have many pores and are soft, fragile, and lightweight. When placed in water, they float rather than sink.

"It's not an aerolite stone," Qianxi replied, shaking her head. "There are no pores on the surface; it seems solid. If it can be shaped into rectangular blocks, it can't be hollow."

Moreover, these stones aren't floating on the water's surface but are submerged, neither sinking to the bottom nor... finding a bottom to rest on.

The bottom of the pool was nowhere in sight.

It resembled a marine blue hole, dark and terrifying, as if diving in would lead straight to the abyss of hell.

The pale yellow stones floated in the water, their hue varying depending on their distance from the edge.

Enjoying manual tasks that don't require much thinking, Zhan Meng took the lead. Approaching a rope hook device, he said, "Why speculate from afar? Just pull one out and study it, right?"

After fiddling with the hook device and understanding its operation, Zhan Meng paused and said with a complex expression, "This device and these spherical stones remind me of an old classic game. You've all probably played it."

Zhan Meng didn't have to specify. Instantly, Tu Wen, a man in his thirties with a slight beard and familiar with early online games, recognized the similarity. He blurted out, "Gold Miner?"

"Exactly," Zhan Meng began demonstrating the hook device, "Look, you can adjust the direction of this hook, and after setting it, you have to release this trigger for the hook to launch in the chosen direction. Isn't this just like the mining method in 'Gold Miner'?"

The others, upon trying out the device for themselves, were taken aback and echoed, "It really is!"

"It turns out we weren't brought here to be nobles, but miners," said Lü Shuo with disappointment. "We are stone miners."

Yao Xiaoguo adjusted her hoop earrings and the long waist-chain that hindered her movement. "But what miner dresses as lavishly as we do? It's like wearing evening gowns to plow the fields. It doesn't match at all."

Solid gold is inherently heavy, and when adorned with amethysts, azurite, carnelian, jade, and other heavy gems, such jewelry not only adds weight but also hinders movement. Aside from looking good, they're practically useless.

If this instance was simply about mining, there would be no need to give them such jewelry.

Chen Yun pondered and whispered, "So, these pieces of jewelry must have another purpose."

"Let's not discuss that now. Hurry up and extract the stone blocks. We can chat while working," Xin Yuechun said, already gripping the rope and hook device. "We need to extract seven blocks. I wonder how long it will take."

Zhan Meng also complained, "Yes, these stones are incredibly heavy."

Among all the participants, Zhan Meng seemed the strongest. If even he found the stones heavy and challenging to lift, then mining would be even harder for the others, especially the female participants who might not have as much strength as the men.

Once everyone started "working," no one had the energy to chat—after all, each circular stone weighed as much as five adults!

If the stones weren't round and rollable, they wouldn't even be able to get them ashore.

The air inside the underground temple was stifling and hot. Tu Wen was drenched in sweat just pulling the stone out of the water, let alone chiseling it. Panting, he grunted, "I remember the world record for weightlifting is over 260 kilograms. If this damned stone isn't heavier than that record, I'll swallow it whole!"

Based on the mural's dimensions for the rectangular blocks, each chiseled block weighed around 300 kilograms.

Even after chiseling, they were left with rectangular stone blocks weighing 300 kilograms each!

No wonder the mural showed half-human, half-animal creatures helping with the stone steps. How could ordinary people like them, without any tools, stack these 300-kilogram blocks?

"This job isn't meant for humans..." Lü Shuo, exhausted after chiseling a block, leaned against the rope device and asked his friends, "How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids?"

Wiping sweat from his face, Xiao Siyu replied, "...probably like this."

The statement was heart-wrenching.

By the third block, Yao Xiaoguo felt a metallic taste in her throat. "I can't go on, really. If I chisel any more, I might just drop dead."

Li Chanyi, with her delicate appearance and flowing hair, was so exhausted she could hardly lift her hands. Barely catching her breath, she added, "...me too."

Chen Yun, taking a break from his labor, reassured them, "The instance wouldn't give us an impossible task. Hang in there, we'll definitely finish."

"Is there another way to chisel these seven blocks?" Xin Yuechun, throwing down her hammer and chisel to rest, pondered with her hand on her forehead. "Maybe we just haven't found it yet?"

Yao Xiaoguo said, "But the mural suggests that we have to chisel it ourselves."

Without looking up, Ming Sheng replied, "There has always been another way – seeking out the ferryman NPC."

With a tight-lipped expression, Xin Yuechun said, "Aside from that."

Ming Sheng spread his hands helplessly, "Then there's no other way."

However, after a moment of furrowed contemplation, Xin Yuechun inquired, "Hey, I'm curious, do you guys think we can strike a deal with the ferryman NPC in this level?"

Lü Shuo looked up at her and earnestly warned, "You really want to find the ferryman NPC? Turning to him is a last resort; if you choose wrongly, it can end very badly."

"No, no, no, I was just pondering. If Xie Yin Xue's words hold true, after this level, we face three potential outcomes."

Xin Yuechun held up three fingers, "First, death."

"Second, clear the level and fully unbind from the Lock of Longevity."

"Third, advance to the next phase and achieve 'immortality'."

"If we choose the right ferryman NPC, we surely won't face the first outcome. So, would we end up with the second or the third?"

At her words, everyone paused to think.

Even Bian Yuchen stopped chiseling and turned to look intently at Xin Yuechun.

"I believe we'd end up with the second outcome," Xin Yuechun stated confidently, not minding their scrutiny, and added with a raised eyebrow, "How many who've dealt with the ferryman NPC met a good end? None of us here have made a deal with him, right? At least, I haven’t."

Xi Xi pondered, "I haven't either. But which outcome awaits is truly uncertain."

Zhan Meng remarked, "This is too much for my brain. I don't know. I've never dealt with the ferryman NPC, but all participants I've seen who did ended up dead."

"Do you think returning to the real world by fully unbinding from the Lock of Longevity is a bad outcome?" Chen Yun approached the topic differently, commenting, "I feel that achieving 'immortality' might not necessarily be the best outcome."

Chen Yun elevated the discussion, pointing out that striking a temporary deal with the ferryman NPC was just a short-term solution, often increasing the difficulty of the subsequent levels, leading many to wish they had perished earlier on.

Hence, between the second and third outcomes, one must be worse. If participants deal with the ferryman NPC in this level, which outcome awaits?

The question is, which of these two outcomes do you think is worse?

Perhaps because Bian Yuchen was without "Thirteen" this time in the game, he spoke infrequently. Yet, whenever he did, it often related to Xie Yin Xue. Now, he voiced a query directed at him, "Mr. Xie, what's your perspective on this?"

The young man sat on the ground, one leg bent, his arm resting on his knee, fingertips holding a hammer. As he heard the comment, his long eyelashes flicked upward to sneak a glance at him, lips parting to say, "I believe it will lead to the third ending."

Biàn Yǔchén let out a prolonged "ah", then continued with a smile, "So do you wish to enter the second ending or the third?"

——Those who wish for the second ending desire to break free from eternal life and return to the real world to lead a normal life.

Those aiming for the third ending, on the other hand, want to stay and achieve the "eternity" that only one person can attain.

Among the twelve participants in this copy, how many wish for the second ending, and how many for the third?

After all, eternal life can only be obtained by one person; those desiring the third ending are inevitably enemies of one another.

Xiè Yìnxuě listened to Biàn Yǔchén's question. The indifference on her face faded, a lazy smile playing on her lips, and with a languid gaze, she slowly said, "You and I trace back to the same origin, as disciples from the same school. With such a bond, how can we have different wishes? Naturally, whichever ending you opt for, I will follow."

Biàn Yǔchén nodded in agreement, as if deeply resonating with Xiè Yìnxuě's words, saying, "Indeed, I am not alone in my path."

"If you two aren't going to give a straight answer, stop beating around the bush. Let's discuss something serious," Tú Wén said, rolling his eyes, "Does anyone have the time? How long have we been here? How much longer till morning?"

Lǚ Shuò informed him, "I've kept track. We've been here for almost seven hours. It's probably around 6 in the evening now."