67: Chapter 67 Silent Companions and Unspoken Answers

The heavy stone wall rose completely behind him and then slowly descended, cutting off the way back. Zhang Hao stood at the entrance of the new passage, slightly calming his heart rate, which had accelerated from the danger just now. He glanced at the Black and White Clown beside him; the other was clumsily patting the dried foam blocks off his body. Those colorful scraps fell rustlingly with his movements, performing a comical pantomime in the absolute Silence.

"Thank you," Zhang Hao said, though he knew the other couldn't respond. The Black and White Clown's movements paused, and he lifted that sorrowful face. His clear black-and-white eyes glanced at Zhang Hao, then he gave a very slight nod and continued to follow half a step behind him.

The passage still extended downward, but it was slightly wider than the previous spiral stone steps. The ghostly blue candlelight on the walls seemed even weaker, and the silent energy in the air—opposing the Power of Pleasure from the outside world—grew increasingly dense, like an invisible tide pressing against the senses.

Before they had gone far, the second stone wall appeared ahead without surprise.

Its structure was almost identical to the first. There were three stone pillars on each side, with colored light and black-and-white light separated. Three new lines of questions emerged on the stone wall:

Question One: Is sadness shameful?

Question Two: Is happiness the only antidote?

Question Three: Are you willing to discard all negative emotions?

In the shadows above the stone wall, the Two-Colored Clown Head—colored on the left and black-and-white on the right—emerged once more, repeating the rules in that mixed, strange tone: "Answer the questions on the stone wall. Place the Crystal Ball you believe to be the correct answer into the groove corresponding to the question. The colored Crystal Ball represents [Affirmative]. The black-and-white Crystal Ball represents [Negative]."

Zhang Hao's gaze swept over the questions, and a cold, sharp curve formed at the corner of his mouth. These questions seemed different, but their core was exactly the same as before, both attempting to simply split and oppose complex emotional experiences, guiding one toward a singular 'happiness above all' conclusion.

Is sadness shameful? No, sadness is a natural reaction to loss, the cornerstone of empathy, and an opportunity for reflection.

Is happiness the only antidote? No, it can alleviate pain, but the true 'antidote' is often facing, accepting, and transcending.

Discard all negative emotions? How would that be any different from becoming a taster who has lost their sense of taste, or a Puppet who has lost their emotions?

He didn't even look at those Crystal Balls, directly looking up at the Two-Colored Clown Head and saying clearly, "My answer is—I choose not to choose."

"Hahaha... Correct answer!" The eerie tone, a mixture of laughter and crying, rang out again, and the second stone wall rose amidst a roar.

Continuing forward. The Black and White Clown seemed to be trying to clear the last clump of glitter stuck to his trouser leg. He hopped on one foot, picking at it with his hand, and as a result, almost tripped over his other giant shoe. He flailed his arms for a few moments to steady himself, the process remaining silent. Zhang Hao watched silently, gaining a deeper understanding of the strange [Silence] Domain on the Black and White Clown. This wasn't an ability he actively controlled, but rather a passive, shadow-like trait that completely isolated him from external sounds, whether they were produced by him or acting upon him. This was an extreme form of loneliness.

Soon, the third stone wall stood before them.

The text on the stone wall became even more direct, even carrying a hint of seduction:

Question One: Stay here and enjoy eternal joy, yes?

Question Two: Forget worries and keep only happiness, yes?

Question Three: Take this Paradise as your heart's home, yes?

The Two-Colored Clown Head appeared as scheduled, reciting the same set of instructions.

This time, the questions had stripped away almost all disguise, pointing directly toward sinking and giving up. Eternal joy? Forgetting worries? Heart's home? How tempting it sounded, but for Zhang Hao, who knew the complexity of emotions and the cruel nature of the Dream World, this was no different from the sweetest poison.

Without any hesitation, he even skipped the process of thinking and directly gave the same answer: "I choose not to choose."

"Hahaha... Correct answer!"

The third stone wall rumbled upward, revealing a space behind it that was completely different from before—a much broader hall with an unknown source of light. In the center of the hall, something seemed to be slowly pulsating, emitting energy fluctuations like a source.

Having passed three trials in a row, Zhang Hao didn't feel relieved; instead, his heart felt even heavier. The questions on these stone walls were linked one after another, from questioning the past to twisting perception and then tempting the future, eroding the intruder's psychological defenses step by step. If not for his firm mind and the clear analytical ability brought by [Logical Connection], plus that crucial warning from the Black and White Clown, he likely would have fallen for it at the first choice.

He glanced at the Black and White Clown beside him, who seemed a bit... cheerful (though no expression could be seen on that crying face, his body movements were slightly lighter) because of the consecutive successes. This silent, comical existence, forgotten by the world, seemed to be walking the same path as him—a path that refused to be defined by a single emotion.

The hall ahead emitted an ominous tranquility; there, perhaps, was the end of all these answers and questions.