Lin Yu inserted the metal key into the door's keyhole and gently turned it.
Then...
The entire metal door emitted a dull sound.
"Clank—"
As if some extremely heavy mechanism had been activated, the metal door slowly swung open, revealing a deep, long, and wide passageway inside.
Lin Yu instinctively raised his torch higher and gave Furbollo a push.
"Go on, inside!"
Furbollo looked at Lin Yu helplessly, about to protest.
"I mean, why..."
"Alright, it's only natural for me to scout ahead."
Furbollo stepped into the passageway behind the cave entrance first.
The two proceeded cautiously one after another, gradually advancing deeper into the cave hidden within the blizzard.
To Lin Yu's surprise...
Although the passageway inside the cave appeared naturally formed, there were far more signs of artificial modification than expected.
The floor was paved with smooth, unidentifiable metal plates emitting an eerie blue glow.
"This is way too sci-fi..."
Lin Yu muttered before couldn't help complaining: "That NPC's outfit, manner of speaking, and the cabin's furnishings all made me think this dungeon had a relatively low-tech setting."
"Never expected it to be this advanced."
Furbollo laughed heartily.
"Aha, May, have you ever encountered 'cyberpunk' works?"
"Sometimes the more technologically advanced a society becomes, the greater the disparity in living standards between different classes and regions... In such settings, the upper class might live near-futuristic lives while the lower class regresses to feudal or even primitive conditions."
Hearing Furbollo's words, Lin Yu nodded slightly.
"I've heard of this concept. So you're saying Extreme Winter Mountain follows this pattern?"
"Exactly."
Furbollo continued walking as he spoke: "Any organization that masters and monopolizes technology capable of materializing 'emotions' as fuel and raw materials would gain godlike powers."
"So this is why you instinctively distrust—even oppose—Researcher Vale Valetti and his organization, isn't it?"
Lin Yu casually asked.
Furbollo responded just as casually: "Of course, Doctor, that organization..."
Then Furbollo suddenly realized something was off.
"Wait, are you probing me?"
Furbollo had never expressed any attitude toward this organization before.
His only skepticism about the NPC Vale Valetti emerged when Lin Yu brought it up.
Lin Yu burst into laughter, his unrestrained mirth echoing through the passageway.
"Hahaha, you caught me, 『Detective』."
"So you do recognize that organization—you identified their logo, their 'symbol,' and their 'technology' from the start, didn't you?"
As Lin Yu laughed, Furbollo clicked his tongue.
"Scary how perceptive you are, May the 『Doctor』. No wonder you said we're alike... I acknowledge you now."
"But when did you spot my slip-up?"
Lin Yu shook his head: "When you analyzed those books' contents—frankly, while I'm no genius, I don't believe anyone could determine what kind of technology they described when over 80% of each academic book's content was missing."
"What I found impossible, you accomplished effortlessly—that's not genius, that's 'cheating'—C, H, E, A, T."
"Later I became certain you already knew some truths about this dungeon."
"Maybe due to your professional abilities, or perhaps... you've encountered this organization before."
"After all, while dungeons in the 『Death Game』 aren't necessarily connected, many share common elements."
Lin Yu spoke softly as Furbollo stopped walking.
Standing in the spacious passageway, Furbollo turned around with a pained expression: "Dang it, bro, how're you so sharp?"
"I admit I've encountered this 'organization' before—I've dealt with them across three different dungeons."
"I hid this because I didn't want you deeply involved—most in this 'organization' are cold-blooded, profit-driven exploiters devoid of humanity."
Seeing Furbollo's sincerity, Lin Yu shook his head.
"No, that's not it..."
"What really puzzles me is you don't seem to fully trust me either—you've been testing me this whole time."
"You don't seem to believe I'm actually a doctor or medical student, yet you accept my 『Doctor』 profession."
"Why is that?"
Furbollo put on an ingratiating smile.
"The truth, Mr. Furbollo—no more jokes masking your real thoughts."
Lin Yu's cold tone made Furbollo pause before he sighed with a wry smile.
"Fine, fine... I admit I recognized your identity."
"At first I pretended not to know—your 『Psychological Society』 is too extreme, actually sending someone of your caliber to approach me."
"I didn't mean to expose you..."
Furbollo's words left Lin Yu utterly bewildered.
"What?!"
"Wait, hold on—" Lin Yu pulled out the lie detector and pointed it at Furbollo, "Say that again. Who did you think I was? Use the phrase 'I thought you were...'!"
"Huh?"
After a confused pause, Furbollo complied: "I thought you were an executive-level member of the 『Psychological Society』."
The lie detector's green light activated—Furbollo truly believed this.
Lin Yu exhaled deeply.
"Haah..."
"How did you reach that conclusion?"
Furbollo answered matter-of-factly: "Your profession is 『Doctor』, but judging by your hands and how you treated my burn directly with abilities... you don't seem like an actual doctor."
"Yet you awakened as a 『Doctor』 and observe people with exceptional acuity—I figured you might be a 'psychiatrist' in reality... and nearly all real 'psychiatrists' are 『Psychological Society』 members."
"Being able to enter others' dungeons freely requires at least 'executive-level' clearance—aren't you one?"
After Furbollo finished, Lin Yu remained silent for a long moment before sighing.
"While I know it's not your fault... you're such an idiot, Furbollo!"
"I fucking thought you were from the 『Psychological Society』!"