When everyone appeared again in the meeting room, Leo said:
"Such a boring meeting."
He left.
The other zodiac signs gradually left as well, because Wen Xishu had already made a choice in his heart. In fact, the process of making his decision was the same as interacting with all the zodiac signs in this transitional place.
When his inner thoughts finally settled, and when the last zodiac sign completed the transaction with him, this soul-searching was over.
After all the zodiac signs left, the scene changed again, and Wen Xishu realized he was back inside the Wall of Refusal.
He seemed to be in a gray tunnel.
Above the tunnel, countless arms were hanging.
Wen Xishu found that inside this tunnel, he was no longer a monster.
Charlie's doll had disappeared, and the doll Anya had transformed into Anya's appearance. Anya was somewhat thin, with short hair and a few freckles on her face, but judging by her bone structure, she would be a very pretty girl in the future.
"Woof~" Huohua was no longer in the shape of a teddy bear but had truly become a dog.
"It seems we've all become our true selves."
Although the monstrous form made Wen Xishu very powerful, he still didn't like having holes in his abdomen and extra arms on his back.
"Next, we just need to hold Charlie and leave."
Things had reached this point, Wen Xishu had already anticipated a perfect ending. Even if any monsters blocked his way, he could summon Sagittarius.
Finally, he just needed to replicate the previous tower-climbing operation and use the invitation card in time.
Everything went smoothly, though he died several times.
The tunnel was long but had an end; at the end of the tunnel, there was a door made of countless dust particles.
The accumulation of these dust particles reached an extremely exaggerated amount, it was like the dust formed a wall, sealing off the entire tunnel.
Yet, unexpectedly, a hand stretched out from the wall full of dust.
Unlike those gray and eye-covered hands, this hand had the hue of human skin, slender like a child's.
"That's Charlie's hand!" Anya suddenly spoke.
Wen Xishu had a faint feeling of unease.
It was as if Charlie was buried in the wall made of piled-up dust. In such a situation, was Charlie still alive?
"Shouldn't we pull Charlie out?" Anya asked.
Wen Xishu nodded, he guessed the same.
But just as Wen Xishu prepared to step forward to touch Charlie, Charlie's hand seemed to come alive.
Numerous arms hanging from the top of the dusty tunnel began to screech like a flock of crows:
"Go away, go away, hateful humans!"
"Charlie, Charlie! Don't touch humans!"
"Go away, go away, filthy humans!"
These voices were layered within the tunnel, and along with the voices came refusal.
When Wen Xishu tried to touch Charlie's hand and pull Charlie out of the dust wall...
Wen Xishu suddenly noticed that Charlie's hand was rapidly decaying.
He immediately took a step back.
After taking a step back... Charlie's hand stopped decaying.
Wen Xishu was baffled.
What is this dare-to-taste-four's perverted private server version? How could there still be such mechanisms aiming at players at the final step?
"I can't possibly use the Hanged Man's rope to pull him out, but I don't have that ability anymore."
Wen Xishu wanted to try using his shadow.
But at this moment, Anya said:
"Please don't hurt him anymore... In his eyes, no one is trustworthy. I think... I can give it a try."
Anya took a step forward, and Huohua tightly followed her towards Charlie's arm.
Wen Xishu realized that indeed, when this person and dog approached Charlie's arm, it didn't decay.
"That's good too."
Wen Xishu thought to himself, hoping no more trouble would arise; he was only one step away from the perfect ending of the Deceit Tower.
Anya and Huohua finally reached the spot where Charlie's arm was. Anya mustered her strength, prepared to pull Charlie out.
"Charlie, I'm here to save you, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm Anya, I won't hurt you."
She softly spoke.
Huohua also let out a compliant woof.
Everything was supposed to end warmly, but just when Anya touched Charlie's arm, trying to pull him out...
From within the dust wall, similar to the Wall of Refusal, countless arms made of black dust appeared.
"Charlie, come on, leave with me!"
Anya was somewhat scared, yet also expectant.
At this moment, those arms also instantly grabbed onto Charlie's arm, and under the influence of these dust hands, Charlie's arm began to retract bit by bit into the depths of the dust.
"Outside is dangerous..."
A child's voice spoke.
Numerous arms hanging from the tunnel ceiling started to clap:
"Dangerous humans, filthy humans! They're all outside!"
"Charlie, Charlie, don't leave!"
It was like dust's revelry, like the explosion of negative emotions, at this moment, Anya and Huohua, not only didn't pull Charlie out, but they were also dragged closer to the dust wall because of tightly holding Charlie's arm.
Wen Xishu was completely panicked.
He didn't know if it was due to dare-to-taste-four, anyhow the version became particularly difficult.
As a player, once he gets close, Charlie's life force will wither. The only ones who could save Charlie were Anya and Huohua.
But now, Anya and Huohua... also faced the risk of being swallowed by dust.