Chapter 28
Magic Theater
Passing through the curtained door, they saw a magnificent theater. The auditorium was empty, but applause rang out from all directions, as if invisible audiences were watching their every move.
"Rules panel updated:"
Core Mechanic: The stage follows the "magic logic" and only things that are "believed" by the audience will "really" happen.
Goal: Earn the audience's trust and achieve "heart of the stage" within three acts.
Hidden Tip: A true magician never deceives the audience, he just lets the audience see the other side of the truth.
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng were pushed onto the stage by invisible hands. A shadowy figure wearing a top hat slowly emerged—the King of Magic.
"Welcome to my theater," he said in a magnetic voice. "If you want to pass, please perform a play that the audience can believe. Remember, here, only what is believed can come true."
Act I: Vanishing Water
The King of Magic tossed the Tidal Heart Tear to Yun Shuo and said, "Make it disappear."
Yun Shuo didn't rush to act, but bowed to the empty audience first: "Everyone, please look."
He placed the "Tears of the Heart" on the "Scale of Truth", and then used the "Key of Time" to make the water droplets stop for a short time on the scale.
"It's not gone, it's just temporarily suspended in time."
Although the water droplets were still there, the audience applauded because they "believed" Yun Shuo's explanation.
Act II: Cutting Time
The King of Magic pointed to the second hand in the air and said, "Stop it."
Instead of trying to forcibly interfere with time, Yuheng used the "Forest Key" to summon a leaf and placed it in the path of the second hand.
“It’s not that time is cut off, but that it chooses to bypass it.”
Applause rang out again.
Act III: Prophecy
The King of Tricks smiled and said, "The hardest part is now, predicting your own future."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng looked at each other and made a bold decision at the same time.
They sprinkle the "sands of time" on the "scales of truth" and then insert the "key of drama" into the base of the scales.
"We predict," Yun Shuo began slowly, "that by the end of this play, the audience will believe that every miracle on stage is a true reflection of their own inner selves."
"We are just presenting the ignored truth to you again." Yu Heng continued.
At this moment, there was thunderous applause.
The shadowy figure of the King of Tricks bowed slightly. "Brilliant."
In the center of the stage, a beating "heart of the stage" slowly rises.
"The sixth level challenge is complete, and the seventh level of the upper tower, the 'Judgement Dome', has been unlocked."
A staircase leading to the dome opened up behind the stage. Yun Shuo and Yu Heng exchanged a glance and stepped forward.
Judgment Dome
The moment they stepped onto the stairs, the light suddenly became blinding. When their vision returned, they were standing in a dome-shaped building suspended above a sea of clouds. In its center stood a massive judgment seat, its surface inscribed with grooves for six key seals. Surrounding it were twelve faceless statues, each holding a different weapon, their gazes seemingly piercing the very soul.
"Rules panel updated:"
Core Mechanism: The dome will extract the "memory fragments" of your journey since you passed the level and materialize them into "trial questions". Every time you answer a question incorrectly, the statue will attack. If you get all six questions wrong, all traces of your existence will be erased.
Objective: Answer all the questions correctly, activate the "Light of Truth" on the Judgment Stand, and unlock the final level of the Upper Tower.
Hidden clue: The answer to the test is hidden in your "unspoken choice".
As soon as he finished speaking, the blade of the first sword-wielding statue lit up, and the first question appeared in the air: "In the reverse corridor, why didn't you touch the afterimage that looked like you?"
Yun Shuo barely hesitated. "It's not that I'm afraid of being drawn into a cycle of failure, but I know he's the 'self who has given up hope.' Touching him would be like denying the me who is persevering at this moment."
The blade's light instantly went out, and the first groove glowed faintly - the answer was correct.
The second question, posed by the shield-bearing statue, was directed at Yu Heng: "In the Rust Belt Wasteland, when you used the 'Play Key' to neutralize the factory mastermind's attack, why didn't you take the opportunity to counterattack?"
Yu Heng stared at the statue. "The core hadn't restarted at the time. Attacking would have caused the rust to spread. I wanted to 'clear the level,' not 'win.'"
The lines on the shield lost their sharpness, and the second groove lit up.
The next questions became increasingly pointed: "In the Mirage Market, when you gave up 'regret', did you truly let it go?" "In the Silent Abyss, when you synchronized your heartbeat with the tide's heart, did you fear losing yourself?"
Yunshuo and Yuheng didn't evade the question, and each answer directly reflected their truest thoughts. They finally understood that a trial is not a test of "correctness" but a test of "honesty."
When the fifth question was answered, the last statue holding the scales spoke up and posed the ultimate question: "If you could do it again, would you still choose to ascend to the upper tower?"
The two looked at each other and said in unison, "Yes. Because what we want is not the result, but the process of 'becoming ourselves' along this journey."
As soon as he finished speaking, six grooves burst into golden light at the same time, and a pillar of light rose from the center of the judgment seat, piercing through the dome and reaching the sky - the "Light of Truth" has been activated.
The twelve statues slowly sheathed their weapons, transforming into points of light and merging into the pillar of light. A bridge of light, reaching high into the sky, emerged from the edge of the dome, and a suspended tower-shaped building could be vaguely seen in the distance.
"The seventh level challenge is complete, and the final level of the upper tower, 'The Summit of Time', has been unlocked."
Yun Shuo inserted the six key seals one by one into the grooves of the judgment platform. The key seals resonated with the light column, emitting a warm halo. "Finally, we've reached the last level," he said softly.
Yu Heng nodded, his eyes firmly fixed on the end of the light bridge: "Go and see the real answer hidden at the top of the tower."
The two stepped onto the bridge of light side by side, and their figures gradually disappeared in the beam of light.
Peak of Time
Crossing the light bridge, Yunshuo and Yuheng arrived at the starting point and end point of everything - the Peak of Time.
There are no complicated mechanisms here, only a huge, slowly rotating golden core and a figure who calls himself "Tower Spirit".
"You've done well," said the Tower Spirit. "You've made it all the way through the Reverse Corridor, the Inverted City, the Rust Belt Wasteland, the Silent Abyss, the Mirage Bazaar, the Magic Theater, and the Dome of Judgment. Every choice you made has proven your worth."
"What's the answer?" Yun Shuo asked impatiently, "What's hidden at the top of the tower?"
The tower spirit smiled faintly: "The answer is you. You think you are searching for the tower's secrets, but in fact the tower is guiding you to find your true self."
Yu Heng pondered: "So, all this is a trial?"
"That's understandable." Ta Ling held out his hand. "Now, you have two choices:
1. Become the new 'Tower Guardian', responsible for maintaining the tower and protecting the trials of those who come after you.
2. You will leave with all your memories, but the tower will be closed forever, and all those who have not completed the trial will be trapped in their respective layers forever."
The two fell into deep thought.
“If we become tower guardians,” Yun Shuo asked, “will we still be able to retain our true selves?”
"Yes, but the price is that you will not be able to leave the tower." The tower spirit replied.
"If we leave," Yu Heng pressed, "what will happen to those who are still in the tower?"
"They will continue to repeat the cycle of failure forever until time erases them completely."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng looked at each other and saw the same determination in each other's eyes.
"We choose the third option." Yu Heng said firmly.
Ta Ling showed a surprised expression: "I didn't offer a third option."
"Then let us create it." Yun Shuo said, putting the six key seals and the "Sand of Time", "Tears of the Tide Heart" and "Heart of the Stage" into the core.
"We chose to have the tower 'changed'."
"It is no longer a cage that traps people, but a real 'bridge'."
The core glowed brightly, and the tower began to vibrate violently. The tower spirit's figure also became unstable: "You are rewriting the underlying laws of the tower! This will come at a great cost!"
"We are ready." Yun Shuo and Yu Heng reached out their hands at the same time and injected part of their memories and emotions into the core - those fragments of failure, regret, joy and growth became the cornerstone of the new rules.
“New rules are in effect:”
Core Mechanic: The tower becomes a "bridge of time," allowing players to retain their memories and enter and exit freely under certain conditions.
The goal: no longer "pass the level", but "growth".
Price: The tower guardians will be jointly held by the tower spirits and the challengers, with limited terms and rotations.
The light faded, and the tower returned to its peaceful state. The tower spirit regained its composure, its eyes a touch more humane: "You succeeded. The tower has changed."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng felt exhausted, but their hearts were filled with relief. They knew that they had paid a price, but in return, they had gained freedom for many more people.
"Let's go," Yuheng said, "let's go see what the world outside looks like now."
The two turned and walked towards the new door leading to the unknown.
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