"Although I still can't determine exactly who the 'Fraudster' refers to... at least the second 'Promotion Task' isn't completely without clues now." Sitting in the room while looking at the map in his hands, Lin Yu let out a long sigh.
Moreover, after shifting his focus away from the puzzle of the "Promotion Task"...
Lin Yu realized he now held considerable advantages regarding this mission. "At the very least, this should be the warmest cabin available—and I don't need to gather additional fuel or food supplies."
"Not to mention, this cabin likely contains other hidden 'clues' as well." Thinking this, Lin Yu couldn't help feeling some regret.
"I should've chosen 'Detective' as my profession from the start," Lin Yu muttered with a sigh.
Had he been a 'Detective,' he could've identified anomalies within this cabin. This thought suddenly sparked a realization.
"Wait a minute..."
Although that imposter "Furbollo" lacked any genuine 'Detective' abilities...
There was actually a real 'Detective' in this dungeon!
First, if he brought "Furbollo" here to utilize his 'Detective' skills for investigating the cabin...
They'd inevitably have to spend extended time together.
The man seemed decent, but appearances could be deceiving.
While Lin Yu had maintained a "friendly" facade toward all twelve players encountered so far, he understood one fundamental truth:
This dungeon wasn't designed for cooperation.
Though there were no explicit competitive mechanics or rewards for eliminating other players...
In extreme environments, having one less person to share "resources" with became its own reward!
He had to stay guarded.
Furthermore, even if "Furbollo" remained completely harmless toward him...
Simply letting Furbollo observe his actions required careful consideration of whether it was worth the risk.
After all, the more "Furbollo" learned about him, the higher the chances of arousing suspicion.
And if subsequent puzzles involved this dungeon's truth—especially if it related to his "Promotion Task"—
Any possibility of revealing his potential "Fraudster" profession...
Was absolutely unacceptable to Lin Yu.
As for two people being more likely to attract 『Chate』... that hardly concerned Lin Yu anymore.
That barely qualified as an issue at this point!
Lost in thought, Lin Yu absently tapped the table.
"Tap. Tap. Tap."
After prolonged deliberation, Lin Yu suddenly chuckled.
"What an idiot... completely trapped by conventional thinking!"
Feeling mentally unshackled, he arrived at a simple solution:
"I could just eliminate him after using his abilities, couldn't I?"
This realization instantly lifted Lin Yu's mood.
This way, even if "Furbollo" harbored ill intentions, it wouldn't matter!
Of course, thoroughly searching the cabin himself remained an option.
But that would...
Consume an unpredictable amount of time!
For Lin Yu, this was utterly unacceptable.
Though seven days seemed ample...
With no idea what subsequent puzzles awaited him, Lin Yu couldn't afford to gamble on having "plenty of time."
Exhaling deeply, Lin Yu prepared for his next move.
After eating some food to replenish energy, Lin Yu decided to...
Take a short nap first.
Sheer exhaustion weighed on him—the prolonged trek followed by that direct encounter with 『Chate』 had taken its toll.
Most critically, his mind had been operating at maximum intensity, leaving him mentally fatigued.
Mild "brain fog" had even set in.
Thus, Lin Yu deemed a brief respite necessary.
"Haa—"
While "time pressure" was one factor, "physical condition" was another.
Lin Yu understood priorities clearly.
Given the seven-day duration, conserving energy while ensuring minimum rest was essential—he couldn't possibly forego sleep entirely.
Lying on the wooden bed, Lin Yu appreciated one cabin feature particularly:
A small wooden-cased clock beside the bed.
Initially, Lin Yu assumed it was broken.
But upon closer inspection—
"It's actually working..."
Lin Yu checked the time: approximately 3 PM.
"A fifteen to twenty-minute nap should suffice."
Yawning, Lin Yu planned to depart around 3:30 PM to locate the 'Detective' Furbollo and "recruit" him by nightfall.
With his schedule set, Lin Yu closed his eyes without worrying about oversleeping—he'd always possessed an internal alarm clock.
Since childhood, he could wake up within ten minutes of his intended time simply by deciding beforehand.
No failures so far.
Lying down, Lin Yu relaxed his muscles and practiced diaphragmatic breathing.
"Haa—"
Within seconds...
Lin Yu fell asleep.
And soon...
Lin Yu reopened his eyes to find himself standing in a frozen wasteland.
Shivering slightly from cold, Lin Yu felt puzzled.
"Why am I outside?"
"Wasn't I sleeping in bed?"
His thoughts remained crystal clear as realization struck:
"Oh wait—this is a dream!"
"Must be dreaming!"
Testing his limbs, Lin Yu noted this was perhaps the most "lucid" dream he'd ever experienced.
Stranger still, the environment matched his current dungeon.
Something felt off.
Yet before Lin Yu could ponder further...
Distant voices caught his attention.
"Hah! Finally made it to 'Extreme Winter Mountain'..."
"This time I'm getting enough Black Oil for sure!"
"Prices have never been higher—the nobles are really splurging!"
"A golden opportunity indeed. Can't let it slip away."
A group of rugged men in tattered fur clothing chatted cheerfully while trekking through snow.
Most faces were unfamiliar except...
The burly man he'd met earlier walked among them, laughing with the others!