Shen Mo concisely explained the events on the island to Tan Xiao and Cheng Wei Cai.
Despite his efforts to be brief, the explanation still took a considerable amount of time due to the involvement of the newly appeared Overseer, the different game formats, and the relationship between Old Man Zhao and the islanders.
After listening, Tan Xiao was speechless with shock.
He found it unbelievable that an old man could unknowingly cause the deaths of hundreds of people without anyone on the island noticing anything amiss!
Cheng Wei Cai also remained silent.
He lowered his head, not saying a word, seemingly burdened by heavy thoughts.
Everyone remembered that Cheng Wei Cai had originally intended to stay on the island. Who could have imagined that this supposed paradise harbored such filth and corruption?
“No wonder the old man called everyone together as soon as he returned. He wanted to clarify things in person?” Tan Xiao couldn't understand. “After all this, does he really think he can clear his name?”
Shen Mo said, “We can put Zhao Jiantao's matter aside for now. What I find concerning is the information he provided: the game moves.”
“So it moves,” Tan Xiao said nonchalantly. “It can move, but I can run. Worst case scenario, we just leave.”
Teacher Cheng sighed. “Xiao Tan, you don't understand. If the game truly chases people, then there will never be a safe haven in this world. As long as we live, we face danger.”
Tan Xiao opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
“This also explains why the first cities affected were major metropolitan areas,” Shen Mo said calmly. “Because of population density.”
“And the maze,” Bai Youwei added. “Don't forget, the maze's characteristic is continuous expansion. Could we hypothesize that after sensing no surviving players within, the maze automatically expands its range, searching for new players to enter?”
“Th-then…” Tan Xiao was bewildered. “The game wants to capture people, and the maze wants to capture people… Will there be any place left for people to stay?”
Shen Mo said gravely, “In the future… I fear all of humanity will be forced into the maze.”
Tan Xiao: “Why not the game?”
“We believe the maze's level, in a sense, is higher than the game's,” Bai Youwei explained. “Like a food chain. We need to follow the game's rules, while the Overseer needs to follow the system's rules. I think… the maze is the closest entity to the system.”
Tan Xiao, only half-understanding, scratched his head. “But why do I feel the game is more troublesome? At least the maze is visible and can be avoided. But the doll game is like stepping on landmines; one might pop up unexpectedly!”
Bai Youwei said, “There's one more thing. In this game, the Overseer said, ‘The Friend Game is my masterpiece. It's flawless and has showcased countless invaluable data points.’”
Teacher Cheng was slightly stunned, murmuring, “Invaluable… data…”
“Exactly,” Bai Youwei nodded. “These two points concern me. First, the game was designed by the Overseer. Second, the game provides data to the Overseer. But what is the data used for? Why does the Overseer need data?”
Shen Mo: “Zhao Jiantao said the game moves, and he used the analogy of hunting, with us as the sheep. Now it seems quite accurate. The game is like herding us towards the maze.”
Teacher Cheng sighed wistfully. “Collect the puzzle pieces to clear all the games. Ultimately, the game still leads us to the maze. No one can escape.”
No one can escape…
Shen Mo pondered, then after a moment of silence, said, “The good news is… we are all valuable data samples to the system. At least, under the premise of not violating the rules, our lives won't be threatened by the Overseer.”
The four fell silent.
This was the only good news so far.
And it was only relatively speaking, not entirely bad news.