112: Riddlers deserve to die

"Before you go, could you do me a small favor?"

"Please speak."

"Give me a copy of your Demonic Beast Chess program."

Bai Ye rubbed his hands together, looking at him with anticipation.

He didn't believe for a second that the King of Wisdom, a veteran chess enthusiast, didn't have the data for Demonic Beast Chess on hand.

The King of Wisdom's face, made of crystal, actually twitched.

This Challenger really knew how to take advantage of a situation.

"I cannot give you the complete program."

The King of Wisdom pondered for a moment.

"However, I can transform this Clone into a 'Wisdom Core.' It contains the basic rules of Demonic Beast Chess and some of the piece data."

"If you encounter new Demonic Beasts in the outside world, you can also input their data into it to create brand-new pieces."

"Deal!"

Bai Ye agreed readily.

Not getting the complete game was acceptable.

Getting a "game launcher" that allowed him to add mods himself was good enough.

"Then come, Challenger."

The King of Wisdom descended from the high platform to the center of the chessboard, raising his scepter high: "Use your strongest attack to send me off!"

"As you wish."

The Bone Cannon of the Skeletal War Ghost lit up once more.

BOOM!

A destructive beam of energy swallowed the figure of the King of Wisdom.

The chessboard fell into a dead silence.

"Ding!"

【Congratulations to the Challenger for passing the tenth-floor trial.】

The electronic voice of the Trial Tower broke the silence.

The pieces on the chessboard turned into specks of light and dissipated.

Bai Ye and Huang Shi stood on the high platform, which descended rapidly, returning them to the empty chessboard.

"That... is it?"

Huang Shi still hadn't fully reacted; the impact of the sudden turn of events in the match was simply too great.

He felt that all the games he had played in the past few decades combined weren't as exciting as that match.

Therefore, he was actually quite looking forward to Bai Ye releasing this game soon.

Bai Ye stared intently at the place where the King of Wisdom had disappeared.

A piece made entirely of crystal, carved with the image of an exquisite King, was floating in mid-air.

Bai Ye stepped forward and reached out to grasp the piece in his hand.

【Obtained special item: Wisdom Core】

【Quality】: Lord Rare

【Effect】: Contains the basic rules of "Demonic Beast Chess" and some piece data. Can input data of encountered Demonic Beasts to create brand-new pieces.

【Introduction】: A mysterious creation of unknown origin, seemingly a game item from some great existence. It is, in itself, a piece with infinite potential.

"Loot..."

Bai Ye fiddled with the piece in his hand; he had to admit that the feel was quite good.

It was very comfortable to fiddle with.

Just as he was about to put the piece into his pocket, a faint mental fluctuation came from it.

"Challenger, use this core well. Perhaps one day, you will be able to see the true chess player."

It was the voice of the King of Wisdom.

"The true chess player?"

Bai Ye frowned and asked via Telepathy: "What do you mean?"

"I am merely a piece on the chessboard that was lucky enough to gain sentience..."

The mental fluctuation faded away after leaving that last sentence.

Bai Ye rubbed the crystal piece in his hand, lost in thought.

Regarding the fact that the King of Wisdom was a piece, anyone with eyes could see it.

However...

"Damn it, playing the riddler with me, huh? One day, when I drag out your main body, I'll pluck your crown right off."

Bai Ye gripped the piece in his hand tightly.

He must find a way to learn some kind of fate-type skill in the future.

No matter where this guy was hiding, he had to drag the riddler out and beat him up.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Huang Shi's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

"We passed, so does that mean we can go directly to the next floor?"

Huang Shi carried the dōyako on his shoulder.

The fear he felt earlier had long since vanished; after all, this feeling of being carried to victory was just too amazing.

"Yeah, let's go."

Bai Ye put away the Wisdom Core and walked toward the light gate leading to the eleventh floor.

The twelfth floor should be similar to the seventh, belonging to the reward stages, so the next floor should be the final test.

The two stepped into the light gate, and the scene before them changed again.

A void of pure white space.

In the very center of the space, a huge ball of light emitting a soft glow floated.

The two stepped into the light gate, and the scene before them changed again.

Huang Shi looked around curiously.

Except for the white and the ball of light, there was nothing.

Bai Ye frowned, bringing his three beast pets to shield Huang Shi in front of him. He had a feeling that something was peeking into his heart.

【Welcome to the final Trial Grounds, the 'Corridor of Heart-Questioning'.】

A grand voice resounded in both their minds simultaneously, completely different from the cold electronic voice from before.

The voice was full of holiness.

"Heart-Questioning? It's not a fight?"

Huang Shi was stunned for a moment; this was completely different from the records of the final test.

However, the books passed down by his Family regarding the latter half of the content were almost entirely incorrect.

They were probably just for entertainment.

But in the future, he would be the creator of the records for the latter half.

【Strength is only one of the steps toward the truth.】

【Only with a firm will and noble belief can one carry supreme talent.】

The majestic voice continued to resound.

【Challenger, answer my question.】

【If you possessed the power to change the world, would you be willing to step forward, shoulder the heavy responsibility of saving civilization, and resist the approaching darkness?】

As the voice fell, a massive mental pressure enveloped the two.

Huang Shi's face turned pale, and his body trembled involuntarily.

He struggled to lift his head, wanting to say something like "Save the world" to that voice.

But he found that he couldn't even say a single word.

The object of the question was not him.

Bai Ye was not affected; he frowned, feeling that this voice was a bit noisy.

Saving civilization?

Resisting darkness?

What was all this?

Still speaking in riddles to him?

He raised his head, extended five fingers toward the empty void, clenched four of them, and then forced them downward!

He said very impatiently: "Coming up and speaking in riddles, asking this and that, are we that familiar?"

"..."

The voice fell silent.

The pure white space fell into an eerie silence.

【...】

After a while, the voice sounded again.

【I am the will of the Tower of Inheritance, your final examiner.】

"Oh, an examiner."

Bai Ye nodded clearly: "Okay, enough nonsense, start quickly. I have other places to go after finishing this."

【...】

The will of the Tower of Inheritance could not understand Bai Ye's train of thought.

Shouldn't a normal Challenger, when faced with such an interrogation of belief and will, give their answer passionately or at least thoughtfully?

How did it turn into urging to start fighting when it got to him?

【Challenger, please answer my question seriously.】

"My answer?"

Bai Ye picked his ear: "I'm a Second-Tier Beast Tamer, and you're talking to me about saving civilization? Did you get something wrong?"

"When the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. If the Sixth-Tier, Seventh-Tier, or even the legendary Legendary Beast Tamer are all dead, it won't be the turn of a high school student like me to save the world."

The will of the Tower of Inheritance crashed for a few seconds.

Huang Shi was listening from the side, terrified. He wanted to stay away from Bai Ye, fearing that divine lightning would strike and hit him too.

"You asking these irrelevant things, isn't it just to see if I'm qualified to get the reward?"

Bai Ye curled his lips:

"Why make it so complicated? Just fight, isn't that it? Whoever has the bigger fist is right; that is the truth of the world."

"If you really want me to answer, then I think spaghetti should be mixed with No. 42 concrete..."

【Detected that the Challenger's logic is chaotic...】

【Rebuilding the Heart-Questioning illusion... Rebuilding failed...】

【System is restarting...】