Chapter 233 - 233 Ninety

Words : 1258 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

233: Ninety. The last question 233: Ninety. The last question “A cup of coffee, one sugar, not too hot.” Tesla, his lips parched from talking, removed his top hat, revealing a head of brown curly hair, and said to Old Pique standing beside him. “You don’t really want to sit here and listen to another story, do you?” Even if Old Pique wanted to listen, under such teasing words, it was hard for him to sit still. He shot Tesla an annoyed glance, stood up from his seat, and walked towards the counter. Tesla watched Old Pique walk away, the smile never leaving his face, then turned to Lu Li, “Are you going to ask questions again next?” Lu Li didn’t beat around the bush and asked, “Are these stories made up or did they really happen?” “Both, I guess... You’ll understand in a while.” Tesla’s smile deepened, enigmatic. He, who had answered all of Lu Li’s questions, chose to withhold information on this point. “But you really are cautious...” Tesla remarked with a hint of admiration. He believed that if Lu Li had a few more days, he might scout the entire ruins before venturing inside. “I’ve let loose quite a bit,” Lu Li replied. “What do you mean by ‘quite a bit’?” “Literally,” Lu Li met Tesla’s gaze. “My death in the stories won’t affect the real me, so my actions are relatively free.” “So you’re saying you could be even more cautious?” “Yes.” Lu Li was both cautious and bold. It sounded contradictory, but it was easy to understand. He would prepare thoroughly before acting, avoiding any unforeseeable events, and enter ruins and structures without hesitation. He would repeatedly doubt Raimy’s strange behavior that seemed to hide secrets, yet still maintained trust in her. “Perhaps you can go even further than I imagined,” Tesla offered his appraisal to Lu Li. As previously discussed, those afraid of death tend to live longer. It’s the same with caution. “Let’s finish the trial before Old Pique comes back.” Half an hour had slipped by unnoticed, and Tesla wasn’t planning on wasting any more time. “There’s more?” Lu Li thought the trial was over. “I haven’t used this sketchpad yet.” Tesla tapped the sketchpad fastened to the table, “I prepared this in advance. Since we are somewhat similar, I could roughly guess your thoughts, so I prepared this sketchpad. I planned to do the final test after you completed the ‘Investigator’s Rookie Trial,’ and to teach you a lesson at the same time.” “Though the process and outcome of the trial diverged somewhat from what I had anticipated... it can still be put to use. Do you know, kindness alone is not enough; it can even be a dangerous trait. You may show mercy, but the enemy will not. They are more evil and indifferent than you can imagine, and your kindness might lead you to a tragic death during some investigation—” This was what Tesla wanted to say. As one of the city heads of the Belfast Investigator Group, he had seen many newcomers to the investigator role, some of whom harbored pity and goodwill towards mysterious entities. Their endings were often not so favorable, and those who survived changed their views due to tragic experiences. This was the fundamental reason Tesla appreciated Lu Li: kindness coupled with ample caution. Despite encountering many oddities, he never abandoned this trait. “Now for the last question.” Tesla slowly turned the sketchpad around so the content was visible to Lu Li, his words continuing to echo in his ears. “You are assigned to investigate a destroyed town. As you enter the town and walk along the ruined streets, you suddenly see a little girl holding a doll standing in the middle of an intersection, surrounded by four terrible monsters. Because the situation is urgent, you must take action. Fortunately, you are powerful enough to kill these monsters with one blow. But the trouble is, among these monsters there are entities that could easily kill you. You must eliminate the threats within three attacks to ensure your safety. You pick up the Spirit-Calling Gun, intending to shoot one of the monsters first.” The sketchpad was filled with rough doodles, the street’s dilapidated ruins on both sides, and in the middle of the intersection, a little girl with pigtails holding a doll, surrounded by four large and terrifying monsters. The first creature was massive, with short legs and a fierce face, resembling the monsters in the trial. The second resembled an enlarged clump of grass, with more than a dozen eyes crammed behind it. The third was a strange humanoid with gills and webbed feet, holding a trident, like a blend of fish and frog. The fourth was a twisted specter. “Remember, you may only shoot, no communicating.” This question tested Lu Li’s observational abilities, as well as whether he would strike down the monsters. Despite it being just a question and not really killing a monster. Lu Li quickly made his choice, aiming at the twisted specter. Tesla commented, “A specter, huh? A good choice. Such incorporeal beings often have bizarre abilities and indeed might easily have killed you. You have two more shots.” Lu Li granted his second killing opportunity to the massive clump of grass. “An unknown monster? Good, the unknown often implies danger, you don’t know what kind of attacks it might have. You have one left.” Lu Li once again extended his hand, pointing at the center of the drawing board—toward the little girl. “You have given your last shot to... the little girl?” Tesla couldn’t maintain his composure, he exclaimed in surprise. “Am I seeing this wrong?” “No,” Lu Li calmly answered. “Why kill her? She’s just an ordinary little girl.” “Ordinary little girls do not walk around holding dolls in a town that has been destroyed.” “Perhaps she’s simply looking for relatives crushed under the rubble.” “I see no fear on her face.” “Perhaps I just haven’t drawn it well enough.” Rustle rustle rustle... “There, I’ve added expressions.” “It could be a pretense.” “...You’ll need a more convincing excuse to persuade me. Otherwise, your final score might be docked some points.” “These four monsters aren’t the same kind, and they move at different speeds, yet they all surrounded the little girl at the same time. They didn’t attack each other, nor did they attack the little girl. That’s enough to say they are underlings to the little girl, or should I say, Followers.” “...Why did you leave these two?” “Because I could only shoot three times.” “I meant, what’s your reason for leaving these two till the end?” “Its short legs suggest it isn’t fast and unlikely to catch me. The other one is holding a trident. The use of tools suggests intelligence, perhaps it can be communicated with.” It sounded logical and well-founded. Tesla indeed couldn’t find a reason to refute it. “So what’s the correct answer?” Lu Li asked. Tesla cast a strange glance at Lu Li, feeling like he couldn’t see through the young man before him. “There is no correct answer, this is simply a test of the testee’s observational capabilities. But I think your answer might just give this test question a correct answer from now on.”

Chapter 233 - 233 Ninety

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