Hearing Unforgotten's words, Lin Yu shook his head slightly.
"It's not exactly solving the puzzle, but there is indeed a way to clear this stage."
Lin Yu looked at Number Eight.
"Don't let its words throw you off. Although we only have two questions left, remember there are 'three bridges' here. Given that only one bridge is safe, regardless of what 'caw' means to the crow..."
"As long as you ask the same crow, its three answers must contain two identical responses and one different one."
"In other words, we can just randomly pick another bridge to ask about and see what answer we get."
"If both answers match—then naturally, the remaining bridge must be the safe one."
Number Eight stared at Lin Yu in astonishment. "You can actually do that?!"
Lin Yu nodded slightly.
But April sensed something amiss.
"What if its answer differs from the previous one?"
Lin Yu smiled. "Then I have another solution. Let's just ask first."
He turned to the crow on the left.
"If I asked the other crow whether the far-right bridge is safe, would it give a positive answer?"
The left crow raised its head and responded with another inhuman syllable.
Hearing this, Lin Yu narrowed his eyes.
"What a shame—it's different."
Iron Uncle realized something. "If they're different, then one of these two bridges must be correct!"
As Iron Uncle spoke, Lin Yu nodded.
"Exactly. A fifty-fifty chance now."
Number Eight blinked. "Fifty percent? That's worse than the previous two-thirds probability!"
April also nodded. "Does that mean this question also has a 'trap'?"
Lin Yu shook his head.
"No, unfortunately... I think this time there's no trap. We genuinely have to choose between two."
The Crow-Man's riddle this time contained no trick.
"The theme of this room differs from the previous one."
The remaining four exchanged uneasy glances.
Number Eight asked nervously, "So... are we really down to luck now?"
"Not quite. You're still overlooking the fundamental difference between the second room and the first... That's the Crow-Man's little trick, but it doesn't qualify as a trap."
As he spoke, Lin Yu drew his pistol from his waist.
"In the first room, all of us had to 'answer directly' to its questions."
"But in this room... what we need is to respond through 'action.'"
"Therefore, we no longer need unified answers or simultaneous responses."
At this point, Iron Uncle understood, his voice low.
"I see... So this stage isn't so much about a 'trap' as it is about selecting someone to 'sacrifice,' right?"
"Exactly. Although we'll indeed be relying on luck next, only one person needs to take that gamble!"
"Just one person needs to cross one bridge, and we'll know—"
Under the faint candlelight, April and Number Eight's expressions shifted.
"Then... who will be the one to gamble?" April asked.
Iron Uncle spoke up. "For fairness, we should draw lots—"
"Lots my ass. I took out this gun to remind you of one thing," Lin Yu said coldly. "I decide who the unlucky one is."
With that, he aimed the gun at Unforgotten, the Thief who had been lurking in the shadows without a word.
"Well then, dear Thief, time to make yourself useful."
Lin Yu flashed a charming smile.
Faced with Lin Yu's sudden aggression, Unforgotten sighed and stepped forward, raising her hands.
Lin Yu shrugged. "Someone's gotta do it. I can't, so I have to pick from the remaining four."
"Among them, you've cleared the fewest dungeons, while Craftsman here has the most. The other two are a package deal. Though I'm confident no one here can beat me in a fight—me, a gun-wielding Soldier—but still..."
"Just in case, I'll start with the easiest target."
"Besides, you did piss me off before, remember?"
Unforgotten kept her hands up, her expression torn between resignation and resentment.
She glanced at the others. "Hey, you're just gonna let him do this? What if you're next?!"
Lin Yu chuckled. "Don't be so gloomy, Unforgotten. You've got a fifty-fifty chance of surviving! For fairness—pick a bridge yourself. That way, your fate's in your own hands!"
Unforgotten gritted her teeth. "Fine... the left one. Damn it, if I die, I'll haunt you forever!"
Lin Yu remained unfazed, keeping his gun trained on her while addressing the others.
"Speaking of which, does anyone have 'rope' or similar items?"
Iron Uncle hesitated, then quickly said, "I do. Safety rope, specifically."
He produced a long coil of safety rope.
Lin Yu glanced at April. "Tie it around her."
April looked startled but took the rope from Iron Uncle and secured it around Unforgotten.
Lin Yu then said, "Now toss me the other end."
April threw it to him. Lin Yu caught it midair, wrapped it twice around his hand, and gripped it firmly—there was nothing sturdy here to tie it to.
Seeing this, Unforgotten's tense expression softened slightly, though she still glared.
But Lin Yu kept his gun raised, his voice icy.
Unforgotten flipped him off before turning and stepping onto the swaying rope bridge, disappearing into the darkness.
Watching her vanish, Iron Uncle murmured to Lin Yu,
"That was harsh, but someone had to play the villain."
"You picked her because she's the lightest, right? And made sure she was tied..."
"You're taking a big risk yourself here."
April and Number Eight also looked at Lin Yu differently now—mostly with gratitude. Though his earlier coercion had shaken them, seeing him hold the rope himself led them to the same conclusion as Iron Uncle.
Lin Yu had simply been seeking the "optimal solution."
But Lin Yu shook his head.
"Don't overestimate me."
Securing Unforgotten with the rope might have stemmed partly from a "no unnecessary deaths" mindset, but his main reasons were more pragmatic.
Lin Yu said quietly, "Without the rope, what if Unforgotten picked the right bridge but stayed silent out of spite? Or faked a scream to mislead us?"
"After all, we don't know if the bridge 'collapses' entirely or if we'd even notice from here."
"Even if she meant no harm, what if the other side has soundproofing?"
His explanation didn't fully convince the other three.
To Iron Uncle, April, and Number Eight, it would be far more reassuring if Lin Yu—the strongest fighter in this dungeon—had some "humanity" and "compassion."
But Lin Yu offered no further justification. He simply watched the rope stretching into the darkness.
Even now, he hadn't revealed all his reasons for choosing Unforgotten.
"What an interesting Thief."
Soon, a light tug came from the rope.
From the darkness, Unforgotten's voice called out:
"This bridge is safe—it's this one!"