Player Reload
Chapter 121 - 115: Narrative Cage (Part 5)

Chapter 121: Chapter 115: Narrative Cage (Part 5)

[Phase Two Objective: Enter the five engine rooms, press the buttons, then proceed to the Prison Director’s Room.]

[Phase Two Time Limit: None]

[Phase Two Failure Penalty: None]

As the system announcement timely sounded, Li Cheng dragged his shackled feet out of his cell, deliberately placing a pillow at the door to prevent it from closing. As for the hand-polished key, it got stuck in the keyhole after completing the task of opening the door.

This fits with the usual setting of puzzle games—objects that are no longer of value disappear for some reason, avoiding an excess of options and confusing the guide.

He circled around his cell and found that the space outside was not a regular quadrilateral but a hexagonal honeycomb shape. Each corner extended into a corridor, and at the end of each was an ordinary wooden door.

Above each doorframe hung a brass doorplate, numbered from left to right as [Flashback], [Coherence], [Reversal], [Prison Director’s Room], [Mislead], [Protagonist Effect].

In front of the corridor leading to the Prison Director’s Room, there stood a two-meter-tall "Pishuai brand" vending machine, filled with chocolate bars, colas, juice drinks, chips, and even shirts and trousers, all of which were "Pishuai" brand.

Above the Pishuai vending machine, a steel plate was embedded, with large sections of text laser-engraved on it.

[Prisoner Information]

[Respected prisoner, hello! Welcome to the Narrative Cage. To facilitate your prison life, please take the time to read the following information.]

[1. This prison uses the Reality Distortion Engine and the Narrative Strategy technology, which can influence and even modify reality on a metaphysical level. Any severe destruction to the prison itself will be reset.]

[2. This prison is devoid of prison guards. As many inmates possess the dual identity of "Slaughterer" and "Civilization Hero," and whose crimes are pending trial, the prison does not restrict the inmates’ right to consciousness or freedom of movement. Inmates may attempt to escape on their own; by pressing the buttons in the "Coherence", "Reversal" and other engine rooms, one can proceed to the Prison Director’s Room. However, the consequences of any escape attempt are the inmate’s own responsibility. The prison also does not assume any medical responsibilities.]

[3. The flow of time in this prison is consistent with the outside world; life-sustaining meals will be provided regularly according to the inmate’s physical condition.]

[4. Visitations are not permitted in the prison, but inmates may periodically request books and newspapers from the prison as entertainment.]

Li Cheng’s eyelid twitched. According to the nature of puzzle games, he deduced that the solitary cell was merely an appetizer, and the real challenge would be in these rooms.

"Is this the curse of the Multi-threaded Brain Domain Method, then..."

He mumbled and rubbed his forehead. Some single-player script tasks in the killing field are tailor-made for gamers, putting those skilled in combat onto battlefields where they could enjoy fighting to their heart’s content.

Those adept at reasoning are often placed in a secluded snowstorm villa to solve puzzles.

Of course, this is only true for some single-player script tasks.

Most tasks come with multiple solutions, and during regular and punishment tasks, the system treats everyone impartially and randomly.

Li Cheng complained as such, but his body honestly turned around to look behind. Surrounding his own solitary cell were three others.

In total, four cells were arranged in a "field"-shaped layout. The upper left was his own cell; the door of the cell in the lower left was tightly closed.

The upper right cell belonged to the neighbor who was speaking earlier, and the lower right cell had its panel open, through the gap one could see a disheveled figure sitting on the bed, head facing the wall, curled up in the corner.

’The Narrative Cage, which claims to hold cosmic level extremely vicious inmates, only has four prisoners? That doesn’t make sense. Or are these cells just a small part of the cage...’

Li Cheng pondered, dragging his shackles as he approached the upper right cell and knocked politely on the cell door, "Hello? I’ve managed to escape from my own cell, can we talk now?"

"..."

A moment of silence lingered in the prison cell, followed by the sound of slippers stepping on the ground.

Click.

The food hatch on the cell door opened, and a figure appeared before Li Cheng, prompting him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

It was a delicate little girl with pallid skin and a cute face, sporting gray waist-length hair. She was holding a newspaper and wearing a prison uniform that was several sizes too large for her. Boldly written on the uniform were the words "Gray Rain."

"Li Cheng?"

Both parties were sizing each other up. The little Lolita named Gray Rain read the name on Li Cheng’s prison uniform and crossed her arms in front of her, speaking with a mature tone that didn’t match her appearance, "Aren’t you the one who calls himself Darth Vader?"

"Li Cheng is my real name; Darth Vader is just a nickname, a stage name, an alias. They don’t conflict."

Li Cheng spoke lightly without even batting an eye, "Do you need help prying this door open?"

"Heh, the door to this solitary cell is just for show. I can leave whenever I want," Gray Rain replied coldly. "You must have noticed those six corridors, as well as the Prisoner Information, haven’t you? Any thoughts?"

"Flashback, Coherence, Reversal, Mislead, Protagonist Effect." Li Cheng recited the words written on the doorplate, squinting his eyes, "The elements of... narrative?"

After acquiring the Multi-threaded Brain Domain Method, he read a vast array of quirky, practical information, including but not limited to post-apocalyptic hand-cranked industrial equipment, artillery shooting computation, Morse code, psychology for intelligence analysis, military reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance...

In his spare time, he also read history, literature, and philosophy type books to pass the time.

Narrative elements fall under the conceptual domain of philosophy, literature, narratology, and scriptwriting. Delving deeper, one could draw up a long reading list, like Joseph Campbell’s "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," Borges’s "The Garden of Forking Paths," Roland Barthes’s "Elements of Semiology," and so forth.

"That’s right."

Gray Rain nodded her head, her tone even, "Five engine rooms, together forming the Narrative Matrix. With each engine room shut down, the prison’s stance is weakened.

Shutting down all engine rooms would result in a successful escape."

The corners of Gray Rain’s mouth curled up slightly, her smile tinged with a hint of mockery.

Think about it, this prison has written the escape guide on the walls, clearly telling the inmates that the prison staff are fully confident in the security of the prison.

Gray Rain knew well what Li Cheng wanted to ask and preemptively said, "If you’re thinking of escaping, I personally suggest starting with the Reversal Room. I won’t tell you what’s behind the door, because every inmate faces different situations.

Moreover, if you can bring me a bottle of fresh-squeezed corn juice, I’ll tell you more information."

"Corn juice? The kind from the vending machine?" Li Cheng hesitated, "That requires coins, right? I don’t have money with me."

"That’s not my problem. Corn juice equals information."

Gray Rain pouted, hopped back onto her bed, and continued reading her newspaper.

Although she looks cute on the outside, her personality is unexpectedly terrible... Li Cheng massaged his temples, his thoughts involuntarily drifting to his cousin.

However, he took an extra glance at the newspaper in Gray Rain’s hands.

The news headline was "Unknown Virus Outbreak on Swan B," and it read, "Recently, there has been a significant increase in serious illnesses in the Colonial City of Swan B, where symptoms such as lethargy, insomnia, and joint stiffness are observed in patients, including mechanical citizens, who sometimes cough up metal fragments. The Constant Star Colonization Committee Health Defense Bureau assures that everything is under control, asking the public not to panic."