86: Chapter 86 The Exit is Not an Observation Position

"What you have frozen is not an Observer Role."

"It is the only exit I can come out of."

Ice-blue letters floated in front of the blackboard.

In the old classroom, the atmosphere that had just relaxed tightened once again.

Chen Ye's first reaction was to raise his shield.

"Does this sentence count as a warning, or is it a lure?"

No one answered immediately.

Because this sentence was too coincidental.

They had just defined the Second Observer Role as absent, and had just blocked the White Tower from completing it automatically or the Department of Education's old files from acting as a substitute, when a sentence popped out from the Ice Key: "What you have frozen is my only exit."

If it were true, they would have effectively blocked the channel through which Shen Qingshuang's remnant could potentially emerge.

If it were false, once they reopened it, they might let the Second Observer Role back in.

Shen Tingxue looked at the Ice Key, her gaze colder than before.

She did not reach out.

Nor did she respond.

Lin Jin glanced at her.

"Very well."

Shen Tingxue said in a low voice:

"I am the one who must not touch it right now."

"Correct."

Lin Jin walked to the blackboard without taking the rule correction wrench.

The black veins on the back of his hand had not fully faded, and his head was throbbing.

He could not force any more repairs today.

At least, he could not risk his life to force them.

He stared at that line of text.

The Hand of Rules slowly unfolded.

[Target: Ice Key crack message]

[Content: What you have frozen is not an Observer Role, it is the only exit I can come out of]

[Source: Shen Qingshuang ice-type containment remnant]

[Pollution status: medium-low]

[Fault: Old project file binds "remnant exit" with "Second Observer Role"]

[Danger: If the exit is acknowledged as the Observer Role, it will activate Shen Qingshuang's old consultant seat]

[Danger: If the exit is completely frozen, the channel for Shen Qingshuang's remnant testimony will be lost]

[Suggestion: Split definitions]

After Lin Jin read the prompt aloud, the faces of several people in the classroom darkened.

Chen Ye gritted his teeth.

"This is too underhanded."

"If we let it out, it takes the Observer Role."

"If we don't let it out, we lose the lead."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"That old file from Lu Chengyuan wasn't meant to let Shen Qingshuang come in to help us at all."

Shen Tingxue continued:

"It was to force us to choose one of two options."

Qin Shanhe sneered.

"He loves doing this kind of thing."

"Binding the door and the pit together, then making you jump in yourself."

Gu Changye's communication talisman was glowing.

He said in a deep voice:

"The Abyss Processing Bureau can assist in recording the split definitions."

"But Lin Jin, you cannot force another correction."

Shen Tingxue also looked at Lin Jin.

"You cannot."

Chen Ye nodded immediately.

"Yeah, don't try to be a hero."

Zhou Heng snorted.

"If you collapse again, there won't even be a need to open the White Tower."

Lin Jin looked around at them.

"I don't intend to smash it."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of chalk and wrote four characters on the blackboard.

[Exit boundary]

"The Observer Role is a permission."

"An exit is a channel."

"Lu Chengyuan bound these two together."

"We are not repairing people, nor are we repairing the White Tower right now."

"We are only repairing these two terms."

He wrote the first item.

[Second Observer Role remains absent.]

The second item.

[Shen Qingshuang's ice-type remnant may retain the testimony exit, but this exit does not possess Observer Role permissions.]

The third item.

[The testimony exit may only output information and cannot propose route suggestions, identity definitions, replacement suggestions, or Ice Key handover requests.]

The fourth item.

[Each time the testimony exit is opened, the first sentence must be read by the teammate with the lowest correlation level; Shen Tingxue must not be the first to make contact.]

After he finished writing, the blackboard did not respond immediately.

The blue crack inside the Ice Key did not disappear either.

It seemed to be judging whether these four items could be established.

Lin Jin looked at Gu Changye's communication talisman.

"Can the Abyss Processing Bureau confirm this?"

Gu Changye said immediately:

"The Abyss Processing Bureau confirms: The absence of the old consultant seat does not affect the sealing and reading of the missing person's remnant testimony as a clue."

Qin Shanhe continued:

"The Academy confirms."

Shen Tingxue looked up, her voice light, but steady.

"Shen Tingxue, descendant of the Shen Family, confirms: I do not request that Shen Qingshuang's remnant take the Observer Role, nor do I give up on searching for her testimony exit."

As these words fell, the Ice Key trembled violently.

It was not resistance.

It was more like a knot that had been frozen had finally loosened a little.

Chen Ye looked at Lin Jin.

"I read the first sentence?"

Lin Jin nodded.

"You have the lowest correlation level."

Chen Ye took a deep breath, placed his shield in front of him, and guarded against the Ice Key as if it were a thief.

"Fine."

"I'll be the second tool person for reading scripts."

Shen Tingxue said softly:

"Not a tool person."

Chen Ye was stunned for a moment, then grinned.

"Protection Role."

"Got it."

He walked to the Ice Key, not getting too close.

The blackboard displayed the detection results.

[Reader: Chen Ye]

[Correlation level with Shen Qingshuang: Low]

[Permission to read the first sentence granted]

The crack inside the Ice Key slowly opened.

This time, there was no sound.

Only a line of ice-blue text.

Chen Ye read word by word:

"I am not an Observer."

Everyone in the old classroom fell silent.

The first sentence was very short.

But it was crucial enough.

It directly cut through Lu Chengyuan's old file.

Shen Qingshuang's remnant did not acknowledge the Observer identity itself.

Chen Ye continued to look.

"Can I read the second sentence?"

The blackboard lit up:

[First sentence has been read by a low-correlation member]

[Second sentence must be read after being reviewed by a teammate]

Zhou Heng stepped forward.

"I will read the second sentence."

Lin Jin nodded.

Zhou Heng glanced at the Ice Key and read:

"Lu Chengyuan wrote my exit into the Observer Role."

"Do not let him succeed."

Shen Tingxue closed her eyes.

Her hand holding the Ice Key trembled slightly, but she did not rush to see the subsequent words.

Lin Jin looked at the blackboard.

[Testimony exit boundary established]

[Second Observer Role: Absent]

[Shen Qingshuang remnant testimony exit: Retained]

[Prohibited: rewriting the testimony exit as an Observer seat]

Chen Ye let out a deep sigh of relief.

"This is much better."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Just a little better."

"At least we didn't let him trick us for nothing."

Shen Tingxue looked at the Ice Key and said in a low voice:

"Is there a third sentence?"

The crack in the Ice Key lit up slightly.

This time, the blackboard wrote a warning first.

[Third sentence involves the White Tower's first floor route and may constitute a route suggestion]

[Permission to read?]

Lin Jin did not agree immediately.

If this sentence were something like "Do not take the coldest path," it might be written by the White Tower as Shen Qingshuang giving a route suggestion.

Gu Changye said in a deep voice:

"According to the boundary you just set, the testimony exit cannot provide route suggestions."

Shen Tingxue nodded.

"Then we won't read route suggestions."

Lin Jin looked at the Ice Key.

"If the third sentence is a factual description, it can be output."

"If it is a route choice, seal it."

The Ice Key paused for a few seconds.

The third line of text slowly appeared, but only the first half.

Chen Ye read:

"The White Tower's first floor has four false paths—"

The second half was automatically sealed by frost.

The blackboard wrote:

[Second half involves route choice and has been sealed]

This time, Shen Tingxue did not feel unwilling.

She just nodded.

"That's enough."

Because they already knew the four false paths.

Safest.

Coldest.

Straightest.

Most familiar.

That Shen Qingshuang's remnant could say this showed that she was indeed related to the White Tower's first floor.

But they could not let her choose the path for them.

Lin Jin copied the "Testimony exit boundary" next to the Mutual Verification Contract.

Four badges lit up at the same time.

[Testimony exit isolation protocol established]

[Effect: Remnant information from missing persons can be read as testimony and cannot be automatically upgraded to Observer, Command, Replacement, or Inheritance permissions]

Chen Ye looked at this line and couldn't help but say:

"I finally understand now."

"Our class isn't taking lessons every day; we're writing prohibitions for various traps."

Qin Shanhe said indifferently:

"If you don't write them, someone else will write them for you."

Chen Ye immediately shut his mouth.

Lin Jin looked up at the blackboard.

"Proceed to the third item."

[Third item: Squad route selection for entering the tower]

[Goal: Under the interference of the external confirmation chain, the absence of the Second Observer Role, and the testimony exit, choose the fourth path]

The old classroom changed again.

The incomplete map of the White Tower unfolded.

Four false shortcuts appeared.

Safest, like an invincible giant shield.

Coldest, like a bridge leading to the depths of ice blue.

Straightest, with lightning piercing through to the end.

Most familiar, paved with old maintenance marks.

And the fourth path was still hidden at the bottom of the first floor.

On that small door, it was written:

[Teammates traveling together]

But this time, there was an empty chair next to the small door.

On the back of the chair, it was written:

[Second Observer Role: Absent]

The White Tower clearly wanted to use this empty chair.

It let the empty chair block the front of the small door.

As if the path were incomplete without an Observer.

The blackboard wrote:

[Route selection rehearsal started]

[Hint: Complete the Second Observer Role to reduce the difficulty of the first floor]

Chen Ye cursed as soon as he saw it.

"Here we go again."

"Does it only know how to trick people with 'reducing difficulty'?"

Zhou Heng raised his Thunder Spear.

"Keep it empty."

Shen Tingxue also said:

"Keep it empty."

Lin Jin nodded.

"An empty seat is also a definition."

"Absence does not equal a need to fill."

The four of them walked toward the small door.

The White Tower first lit up the Safest path.

The shield-shaped light shard in Chen Ye's hand heated up.

A voice sounded in his ear.

[Complete the Observer to provide early warning of damage]

Chen Ye gritted his teeth.

"I'll warn myself."

He did not look at that path.

Then came the Coldest path.

The Ice Key vibrated slightly.

A blurry shadow of Shen Qingshuang emerged on the empty chair.

[Let me sit on it, and I can tell you where the White Tower is coldest]

Shen Tingxue paused for a moment.

But she did not reach out.

"If you truly still have consciousness, speak from the testimony exit."

"Not by sitting in the Observer Role."

The shadow dissipated.

Then came the Straightest path.

The silver confirmation chain flashed again, but was suppressed by the Observer Role isolation mark.

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Don't use others' confirmation to pave the way for me."

The thunder nail struck down.

The Straightest path went dark.

Finally, the Most familiar path.

Lin Shoushan's old maintenance marks lit up one by one.

The familiar sound of a wrench tapping was almost right next to Lin Jin's ear.

[Follow this path, and you can get the supplementary clauses faster]

Lin Jin closed his eyes.

Then he opened them.

"I will get them."

"But not by following the path you give."

The grey screw lit up, and the old marks were identified as traps one by one.

The four of them finally walked to the small door.

The door did not open.

The empty chair blocked the door, as if demanding they give it a person.

The blackboard wrote:

[Second Observer Role absent, squad lacks corroborating evidence]

[Please complete the corroborating evidence]

Lin Jin looked at the empty chair and suddenly understood.

"It doesn't want an Observer."

"It wants corroborating evidence."

Chen Ye was stunned.

"What's the difference?"

Shen Tingxue said:

"An Observer has permissions."

"Corroborating evidence only proves that it happened."

Zhou Heng frowned.

"Who acts as the corroborating evidence?"

Lin Jin did not look at Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue, nor did he look at the Ice Key.

He looked at Teacher Xu Wenzhou.

Teacher Xu Wenzhou had been standing at the edge of the podium.

He had been unusually silent since the appearance of Shen Qingshuang's testimony exit.

Now that Lin Jin looked at him, his face turned even paler.

"Me?"

Lin Jin nodded.

"You are the Homeroom Teacher."

"A temporary one."

"But you are not an Observer."

"You are not a teammate either."

"You can act as corroborating evidence."

Teacher Xu Wenzhou's fingers trembled slightly.

"I am not suitable."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Why?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou did not answer.

But the blackboard suddenly lit up.

[Old corroborating evidence record detected]

[White Tower first floor, twenty years ago, corroborating witness: Teacher Xu Wenzhou]

The old classroom fell silent instantly.

Teacher Xu Wenzhou's face was deathly pale.

Chen Ye was stunned.

"Teacher Xu was also a corroborating witness back then?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou said in a low voice:

"I can't remember..."

The blackboard continued to write.

[Third item training addition: Corroborating witness seat verification]

[Question: Teacher Xu Wenzhou, twenty years ago, for the White Tower's first floor true reward, for whom did you read the first sentence?]

Teacher Xu Wenzhou stumbled back half a step.

As if he had been directly struck by that sentence.

The Ice Key, thunder nail, grey screw, and shield-shaped light shard all lit up at the same time.

The white light behind the small door slowly opened a crack.

A very soft sound of pages turning came from inside.

The last line of text appeared on the blackboard.

[If the corroborating witness cannot answer, the reading order for the White Tower's first floor true reward will default to using the erroneous record from twenty years ago.]