The surrounding players couldn't help but be drawn in. Hearing Mu Anqi's question and words, some appeared thoughtful, while others showed mocking expressions.
This must be a new level of screening. Mu Anqi looked at the captain of the Goddess of Beauty Squad and couldn't help but think: Her judgment shouldn't be wrong, right?
The closer it got to the start of the game, the more nervous Mu Anqi became, making her take deep breaths repeatedly to adjust her emotions. However, the tension lasted only until she saw the white-paper residents beside her seriously holding apple with both hands like statues…
Mu Anqi suddenly felt that the symbol of "white paper" was really quite nice.
After team formation ended, the game began. Before playing, each group of players had to hand in their identity cards. Under the watchful eyes of the Goddess of Beauty Squad, they completed the game. No cheating, no regrets. After each round, the Goddess of Beauty Squad would record the scores, which were written on the back of the identity cards.
The first group of players seemed to have made a mutual agreement. They threw their moves quickly, resulting in a draw from the first round to the ninth. It wasn't until the final round that both of them unexpectedly threw "paper." Although it was still a draw, their expressions changed at the same time.
The atmosphere was heavy as the players stepped down from the stage and received their identity cards. On the back, beneath the long list of evaluations such as appearance and physique, there was now an additional line: "Honesty and Trust Game: 20 points."
This first group's game did not set a good example for the following players. Instead, it made the two players of the second group glance nervously at their teammates. The trial players in this game were all temporarily teamed up. With the unexpected twist at the end of the first group's match, it was hard not to overthink.
Fortunately, the players in the second group all ended the game with "rock" and earned 20 points.
In the following groups, some players did not discuss beforehand and went straight into a regular rock-paper-scissors match, with wins and losses, and some ending up with a combined score of exactly 20 points. Of course, there were also players who betrayed their teammates in the end and won with a single strike.
The reward gifts and punishments were not distributed immediately, likely to wait until all players finished their games.
Soon, it was Mu Anqi's turn.
Honesty and trust, huh? Mu Anqi took a deep breath and went on stage with the white-paper resident. The resident held the apple in one hand, and at the instant the game started, both Mu Anqi and the white-paper resident played "paper."
Ten rounds. The white-paper resident chose "paper" every time without a trace of hesitation. Mu Anqi also knew that if she had played "scissors" at the end, the white-paper resident would have definitely lost.
Taking back her identity card, Mu Anqi glanced at her "20 points" and once again sincerely thanked the white-paper resident.
What is the Goddess of Beauty? What are the soldiers of Goddess of Beauty Squad? What are the white-paper residents? In the eyes of the white-paper residents, the Goddess of Beauty is a deity — the embodiment of all beauty and the entirety of their faith. But what about in the eyes of the Goddess of Beauty Squad? Is the Goddess of Beauty they worship with single-minded devotion truly the same as the one the white-paper residents believe in?
The Goddess of Beauty Squad and the white-paper residents didn't appear human — both looked strange and evil. But in truth, the residents of Samsara City in their white-paper state were harmless, and they sincerely strove to align themselves with what they believed the Goddess of Beauty desired, to become honest devotees. Yet, the Goddess of Beauty never received the white-paper residents.
The ones it received were the Goddess of Beauty Squad. The Goddess of Beauty Squad… players left behind in the instance, or… perhaps blackened, or even deceased, white-paper residents? Mu Anqi had already noticed that among the observing white-paper residents, not a single one had ink stains on their faces. Then where did those with ink stains — or even those who had already been dyed into black-paper residents — go?
"Travelers who scored 20 points or more may come here to receive their rewards. Players who scored below 20 points will, from now on, need to solve their food needs on their own."
In this round, there weren't many players who scored over 20 points—only four won. Accordingly, four players would now need to handle their own meals.
Compared to the punishment of death, having to feed oneself was already a very mild consequence.
The losing players all let out a sigh of relief, then looked toward the players going to claim their rewards.
The winning players didn't receive any items. They walked over, and the Goddess of Beauty Squad captain simply tapped each of them on the forehead, and that counted as the distribution of the reward. As for what the reward was, or what it was called, no one gave an answer.
Some of the winning players felt uneasy, but thinking that the punishment for losing wasn't severe, they figured their rewards shouldn't be too bad either. What if it helped them avoid being hunted at night?
Mu Anqi didn't think so. Today was only the second day. If the NPCs would no longer provide food for players, then those four players would have to rely on others for food. If players couldn't eat enough, even if stamina, speed, and reaction weren't affected immediately, what about when being chased by monsters? As for the rewards given to the winning players, Mu Anqi didn't believe they would be anything good either.
Mu Anqi even felt that this twisted reward was nothing more than the Goddess of Beauty paying a little more attention to you and being willing to accept you into the Goddess of Beauty Squad. Some players actually believed that the boss in the Black Mirror Vortex would provide you with items—what a joke. Why would it give you items? To help you kill it or help you clear the level? If it were an item you discovered yourself during exploration, that would be more believable.
After the rewards were distributed, the Goddess of Beauty Squad and the white-paper residents dispersed. Among the players who remained, the ones who betrayed their teammates at the end were the most embarrassed. Especially those like the first group, where both players betrayed each other at the last moment and ended up in a draw again—that was the most awkward. But they couldn't really blame the other, since they were equally guilty.
"Hello." Just as Mu Anqi was about to leave, a male player called out to her. He wore glasses and had a faint green stubble on his chin. "I have a theory. Would it be okay to share it with you?"
This male player had also just finished a match that ended in a draw with his teammate. Mu Anqi nodded. "I'm open to it."
"I'll start with what I've gathered. The players who caused the white-paper residents to blacken behaved completely without the awareness of being guests. They rummaged through the host's belongings, barged into bedrooms, flipped through drawers, and left the houses in chaos—so they provoked the white-paper residents' anger," the player explained. "After learning this, I visited the homes of the blankened residents. Their doors weren't locked, but the rooms were empty. And during the game just now, none of those blackened white-paper residents showed up among the spectators."
"The Goddess of Beauty Squad is made up of players and white-paper residents. Those blackened white-paper residents have likely become part of the Goddess of Beauty Squad," Mu Anqi said. "I think… the white paper on those residents' faces is like a reflection of their inner selves. When they're eroded by darkness, they transform into another form—that is, the Goddess of Beauty Squad. Of course, I think there's a transition between blackening and becoming Goddess of Beauty Squad members, and that transformation is probably carried out by the Goddess of Beauty themselves after summoning them."
"Yes! When you asked those two questions just now, I thought of all of this!" The player visibly became excited, analyzing seriously. "I think the white-paper residents and the Goddess of Beauty Squad are polar opposites—and their concepts of the Goddess of Beauty are completely opposite too."
"Also, the City Lord's Mansion must exist within Samsara City, and the Goddess of Beauty is a real entity. It's just that, under normal circumstances, we can hardly see Them." The player looked at Mu Anqi and extended an invitation. "You have control-type abilities and items. I wonder if you'd be willing to take a risk with me? The Goddess of Beauty Squad hunts at night… I suspect that during that time, the City Lord's Mansion might become visible."
"…The inner world?" Mu Anqi hadn't played Silent Hill, but she had a general idea of the outer and inner worlds. "Hmm… let me think about it. If I decide to go, I'll give you an answer tomorrow. For tonight, let's stay put."
"Why?"
"When I was gathering information, the white-paper residents said that players who want to become part of the Goddess of Beauty Squad must undergo Goddess of Beauty's selection trials," Mu Anqi explained. "On the first day, it was all about nitpicking appearances. On the second day, it was this game… I want to observe whether the players who won or lost show any special traits, and then see if the Goddess of Beauty makes any new moves tomorrow."
The players' spawn points, the rooms of the white-paper residents… why were players allowed to stay overnight in these places? Players who rested at the spawn point were hunted by the Goddess of Beauty Squad at night, while those who stayed in white-paper residents' homes were forbidden from entering the residents' master bedrooms without permission.
Why did she think this way? Because… Mu Anqi had also searched through a white-paper resident's house before. Although she hadn't left the place in chaos, she had still been asked the same question by the resident. And the only difference, perhaps, was that she had never stepped into their bedroom.
Mu Anqi also recalled that when she stayed overnight, the white-paper resident kept silently watching the players… What was she observing? In most cases, the white-paper residents were harmless. But what if the Goddess of Beauty had issued them different "oracles"? What if this was all part of the Goddess of Beauty's trial for travelers, and the residents were cooperating with it?
If a player attacked or angered a white-paper resident, they would be hunted or attacked in return. The white-paper residents would also be transformed into Goddess of Beauty Squad members by the Goddess of Beauty. If this theory was correct, did it mean that a monster was sealed within each white-paper resident?
"Alright, I'll try my best to locate the general area tonight. If I find it, I'll wait for you to act together with me tomorrow night," the player nodded. Though he could evade the Goddess of Beauty Squad's night hunts, facing a boss alone… he really didn't have much confidence. Inviting Mu Anqi to join him was exactly for this reason. "Or, if you have any reliable teammates, you can let them know too."
"Ah, okay." Reliable teammates? She didn't have any. In this trial instance, she was a lone wolf. But this information…
Mu Anqi hesitated for a moment, but still decided to inform those grouped-up female players. This trial instance didn't specify a limit on the number of people who could clear it, so she might as well help where she could. As for the players who had previously cursed at her and tried to mooch off her information—Mu Anqi didn't have the time or interest to bother with them.
Kindly sharing her speculations about the instance and the City Lord's Mansion, Mu Anqi also told the female players what to be mindful of when staying overnight at the white-paper residents' homes. These players hadn't rested well the previous night, and though they could still manage on this second day, it would inevitably affect their condition.