Wen Xishu said:
"I actually prefer to stick with the original method. What do you think, Captain?"
This was Wen Xishu giving everyone a second chance.
After all, his lead in Anti-Magic Value allowed him to have a preliminary understanding of items. In this game, without him, the others would actually be in more danger.
But everyone had their own little schemes in mind. They all thought that as long as they were quick enough to enter the ward, they could be the first to find the item with combat capabilities.
A table lamp, able to smash a hundred normal heads without breaking, and possibly having other special abilities.
Then if they found a sword or a knife... it would probably be a monster harvesting machine.
Tong Ming, Aspasia, and Wang Ying all thought this way.
But Wen Xishu didn’t think so. He didn’t believe the underlying logic was that simple.
Wang Ying thought for a moment and said:
"The scene we just encountered was only Lv1. I should be considered the strongest among us, but I almost died."
"I don’t know how difficult Lv2 will be... Each of us has to identify items. Everyone may also end up on a battlefield similar to that in the Slaughter Tower."
"But once inside, there is no Slaughter Tower attribute panel! You need to understand the significance of items."
"This floor seems to have many rooms, probably dozens. Going room by room is indeed slow... and that place just now was too dangerous. If we act collectively, I can’t guarantee that the items you get will handle such danger."
"So, everyone acts on their own. Life and death are destined by fate. The items you choose are for your own use. If you die on the battlefield, blame only yourself for misjudging, not anyone else. How about that?"
Wen Xishu smiled. This guy did make some valid points.
"I have no problem. I’ll follow the arrangement."
Wang Ying thought for a moment:
"Zheng Zai, do you want to join us?"
Zheng Zai was tall and strong, with an iron mask over his mouth, clearly not an ordinary person.
Wang Ying considered him a premier combatant.
But Zheng Zai shook his head and said:
"Sorry, Captain Wang, I want to go with Younger Brother Wen."
Wang Ying’s face darkened, and whatever little favor he had towards Wen Xishu vanished instantly:
"Alright then, good luck to you both."
At this moment, Wen Xishu suddenly said:
"Captain Wang, could I ask you a favor?"
Wang Ying was puzzled:
"What is it?"
Wen Xishu pointed at the table lamp:
"Do you still need this? It actually has no practical value in combat."
Wang Ying said:
"This thing... alright, since you want it, take it."
Initially, Wen Xishu didn’t want to identify the table lamp because he thought there might be a stage where it would be needed.
Now, he wanted the table lamp since someone had already fully experienced a round with it.
Wang Ying seemed generous. This table lamp did have some utility but was quite cumbersome. He had bragged earlier, calling it a Divine Artifact, but in reality...
This thing was cumbersome, and seeing others’ visions through its light even made him dizzy. Most crucially, it hampered his performance in combat, worse than a steel rod on the ground.
Considering the limited items each person could carry, and the abundant items present here, coupled with the need to acquire new items before the next round, it was clear this lamp wasn’t something he planned to keep. He definitely wouldn’t use it to tackle a more difficult Lv2 or Lv3... he was going to discard it anyway.
Now that Wen Xishu wanted it, he was happy to do a favor, especially since Wen Xishu had spoken up for him earlier.
...
In the end, the five people exploring the museum split into three teams.
Nobody picked Tong Ming.
Wang Ying thought Tong Ming was a burden. Tong Ming felt the same about the others.
Wang Ying and Aspasia formed a team. Although Aspasia was unhappy with Wang Ying’s recklessness, she had noticed that Wang Ying had risked his life to save her earlier.
Wen Xishu and Zheng Zai formed a team. Tong Ming went to room 4-2. Wang Ying chose room 4-3.
Wen Xishu didn’t go to room 4-4; instead, he roamed the hallway with Zheng Zai.
"Younger Brother Wen, shouldn’t we check inside?"
Wen Xishu looked ahead:
"We appeared on the fourth floor. Do you find that odd, Zheng Zai?"
Zheng Zai shook his head:
"I... I can’t think like that."
Wen Xishu was very patient with Zheng Zai. In a way, Zheng Zai was someone who had been tested before.
"Simply put, the museum is on the fourth floor. But it’s strange, as in a mental hospital, usually the most severe cases are on the highest floors."
"If you were a great inventor, the owner of these museum items, and were forced to set up a museum in a mental hospital... would you choose the fourth floor?"
"The patients below should be somewhat more normal, right?"
Zheng Zai contemplated seriously:
"What if he had good relations with the fourth-floor patients?"
Wen Xishu affirmed:
"That’s a reason, and I considered it too. So, I’m wondering if there are some special patients in these wards."
"Another point, during my first appearance in the Deceit Tower, I was on a higher floor of a building."
"I had to rescue a little girl and get her out, which required going downstairs."
"Do you think we might go downstairs? If we do, will we encounter unknown horrors?"
"Do you recall the mission briefing?"
Zheng Zai nodded, adapting to Wen Xishu’s line of thinking:
"You mean... after doomsday, people scrambled to get in here?"
Wen Xishu praised:
"Very good, you didn’t forget the mission’s description."
"When doomsday arrived, this mental hospital became a place where everyone desperately wanted to enter. It was as if it was the only haven left in the world."