As Xiao Cheng mentioned, the game venue for the “Monkey” was very close to their chosen base—just a ten-minute walk.
It was said that none of the people at their base had actively chosen to challenge a “Monkey” game before. Among the five remaining people in the room, apart from Xiao Cheng, who was a college student, the rest were middle-aged folks in their forties or fifties. Games involving monkeys weren’t their forte.
Even Xiao Cheng wasn’t entirely confident he could win in a game testing intelligence.
“But I heard most ‘Zodiacs’ represent two types, right?” Tian Tian asked, puzzled. “Is the monkey definitely an ‘intelligence’ type?”
“Could also be ‘dexterity’,” Xiao Cheng replied as he led the way. “If we’re unlucky and this monkey turns out to be a ‘dexterity’ game, we should just go find the Earth Monkey early. After all, ‘dexterity’ games mostly involve climbing trees, walking on plum blossom stakes, or balancing on a log—none of which suit our team well.”
As they spoke, they arrived in front of the Monkey. Surprisingly, there were already seven or eight participants gathered outside.
“More people are coming!” the group exclaimed.
Xiao Cheng and Tian Tian exchanged glances, immediately furrowing their brows.
The “Pegasus Hour” had just ended—why were there so many people here?
“Come take a look!” the Monkey standing in front of the game venue shouted loudly. “With the ‘Pegasus Hour’ upon us, the Monkey Shop is celebrating its grand opening! Buy one ticket, get one free!”
The Monkey was dressed rather neatly, though his entire frame was extremely thin. His suit jacket and pants hung loosely on him, and the mask on his face looked like it might fall off at any moment.
“This…”
Tian Tian and Xiao Cheng both looked at him in confusion. It was their first time hearing that a “Zodiac” could hawk their games—and even offer discounts on tickets.
“This is really strange…” Xiao Cheng whispered to Tian Tian. “Do ‘Zodiacs’ have ‘quotas’ to meet every day? Why is he so desperate, even soliciting customers like this?”
“I don’t know much about it,” Tian Tian shook her head.
“The ‘Zodiacs’ do indeed have daily tasks to complete,” Zheng Yingxiong said beside them. “If they fail, their situation becomes quite dangerous.”
“You know about that too?”
“Mhm.” Zheng Yingxiong nodded like a little adult. “What happened today with the black threads falling from the sky was too unusual—it drained almost all the energy of the subjects. So, no one would be participating in games now. These ‘Zodiacs’ can only do their best to attract players to fulfill their tasks.”
Xiao Cheng scratched his head, considering the situation. With the “Human-level” tickets being buy-one-get-one-free, he and Tian Tian only needed to pay one “Dao” to enter. Besides, Human-level games posed no life-threatening risks—no matter how you looked at it, this was a no-lose deal.
“Something feels off,” Tian Tian said. “By ‘tasks,’ do you mean they gamble their own ‘Dao’ against the ‘participants’?”
“That should be the case,” Xiao Cheng nodded. “They need to collect enough ‘Dao’ every day.”
“In that case, even though there’s a risk of losing ‘Dao,’ this Monkey is still offering discounts. Doesn’t that mean he’s very confident in his game?”
“Even if things get dangerous, the worst we’ll lose is our ‘Dao,'” Xiao Cheng said. “Let’s give it a try. With so many people here, the game should start soon.”
Once they made up their minds, they stepped forward to inquire about the tickets. Normally, the game would cost two “Dao” per person, but now it was buy-one-get-one-free.
At this point, each person only needed to contribute one “Dao” to participate—the lowest price in the entire “Endgame Land” aside from “free.”
“What kind of game is yours?” Xiao Cheng asked.
“A team-based intelligence game—perfect for unwinding after the ‘Pegasus Hour.’ Win, and each person gets two ‘Dao,'” the Monkey replied before glancing at Zheng Yingxiong behind them. “Kids can join too. No charge.”
“Kids don’t have to pay…?” The two exchanged suspicious looks, unsure what trick he was playing.
In other words, even if the game were free, the Monkey wouldn’t lose anything?
“Then I’ll go too,” Zheng Yingxiong said. “Maybe I can help.”
Xiao Cheng knew that despite being a child, Zheng Yingxiong had his strengths. His mastery of “Echo” was impressive—not only could he discern others’ “Echo,” but he could also judge their morality. Unlike ordinary kids, he was neither stubborn nor naive. Having him around wasn’t a bad thing.
“In that case, the three of us will go in together,” Xiao Cheng said. “One ‘Dao’ for three participants—sounds pretty cost-effective.”
Over a dozen people stood before them now, all having paid their tickets, yet the Monkey showed no signs of starting, continuing to loudly advertise on the street.
After waiting a few minutes, Xiao Cheng grew impatient and finally asked, “Monkey, how many people do you need to start the game?”
“The more, the better—twenty, thirty, all fine,” the Monkey grinned. “Let’s wait a bit longer. If no one else comes, we’ll start in three minutes.”
Seeing this, Tian Tian frowned again. A dozen people was already a sizable group. Yun Yao had mentioned that usually, the more participants, the higher the game’s difficulty. But the Monkey was only a “Human-level”—why design such a massive game?
“Xiao Cheng, I think there’s a trap,” Tian Tian whispered.
“What’s wrong, Tian Tian?”
“Even though it’s a team-based ‘intelligence’ game, I don’t feel at ease.” She glanced at the so-called “teammates” in the distance. “These people are here for entirely different reasons—mostly lured by the cheap deal. Are we sure we can cooperate with them?”
Xiao Cheng gave her a reassuring look and smiled. “Tian Tian, I can’t guarantee a 100% win, but I’ll definitely do my best to think things through in the game.”
Tian Tian frowned, feeling like Xiao Cheng didn’t grasp her concern.
This game was, after all, a gamble between “participants” and the “Zodiac.” If “the more, the better” for the referee, then naturally, it was “the fewer, the better” for the players.
From that, it could be inferred that the biggest challenge of this game wasn’t “intelligence”—it was “teamwork.”
The three minutes passed in a flash. With no other “participants” appearing on the empty street, the Monkey declared the game officially open and turned to unlock the door behind him.
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