"The rules work in my favor because they have an upgrade mechanism; once levels are raised, escaping becomes easy."
"But against me, I can't unlock various abilities right away, and the fifth stage ability, will affinity, is hard to unlock precisely because it's in the fifth stage."
"This requires their most painful memories."
"If you play the game normally, perhaps reaching the ending might not even trigger fifth stage memories."
"So... will affinity is a crucial clue, impacting the perfect ending."
Wen Xishu thought of these upon seeing will affinity.
And when Chris finally finished recounting all his memories...
Wen Xishu realized many things seemed to connect. Chris's memories didn't have too many twists.
Margaret wasn't a Good Person. Chris, unlike Zhou Fei or Britney, came from the Outer Domain; the war he was involved in wasn't a meticulously crafted Truman's world.
Margaret's death, Chris's invasion war...
were all real.
But the key to Chris is — the war.
The war was not simple at all.
In Chris's memory, he mentioned this line:
"To kill all the children. My comrades, even I, received orders to kill all the children..."
"We are a batch of trained, blessed soldiers, stronger than ordinary special forces, even an existence they can't comprehend."
"The orders we received were to kill every child in that country."
"Because among those children, there was one extremely dangerous."
"I didn't do it; I'm actually not a qualified soldier. I didn't obey the command, thinking of Margaret's anger."
"So in that war, I was only responsible for eliminating all who tried to protect those children."
"As for killing those children and pinning them to walls, or digging their hearts out... that wasn't my doing."
"But I know I'm an accomplice. In Hell, Margaret will never forgive me! Ever!"
Chris had already begun to suffer.
Wen Xishu realized the key:
"Chris indeed isn't an ordinary soldier..."
"They were looking for a special child, a very dangerous one. Chris and his comrades were blessed soldiers."
"Blessed..."
Which constellation's blessing was it?
Undoubtedly, this constellation didn't get along with the one ruling Magic City.
The two sides were likely adversaries, or not openly hostile but secretly competing.
Wen Xishu thought of the big sister among the constellations — Aries.
Ancient, intellectual, mysterious...
Holding ancient power.
All in all, Chris and his comrades were very powerful, described as secret weapons, under the modern warfare equipment and their strong characteristics...
They could be said to be terrifying. But for such a terrifying group, invading a country for a child?
Mysteriously, Wen Xishu felt something connected but appeared profoundly perplexing.
"Do you all desire that child's power?"
Wen Xishu asked.
Chris shook his head:
"No, the orders we received were to kill without mercy."
Something wasn't right.
Their orders were slaughter, conquest, not acquisition.
If that child were special, possessing great power, logically, they should capture the child for study.
But Chris and the others had orders to kill.
To kill at any cost.
During this process, Chris's military comrades committed numerous cruel acts, coupled with Margaret's death later, resulting in Chris's war-induced trauma.
Wen Xishu closed his eyes; Zhou Fei's body made it easy for him to think.
"No acquisition, no study... likely unable to be studied. Choosing to kill... is to prevent other forces from obtaining?"
Wen Xishu was moved: "Chris, which country was your adversary force at that time?"
Chris said:
"In peaceful times, what adversaries are there... but indeed, the relations with Longxia were somewhat tense then."
"We invaded what they wanted to protect."
Wen Xishu asked again:
"Chris, did you find that child?"
Chris shook his head:
"I've seen many children... in that shattered country, I've seen many children, but I don't know who the dangerous one is."
"It's hard for me to imagine how a child could be dangerous; I think I haven't found them."
Wen Xishu didn't believe Chris hadn't found them.
"Did you come here... because you were reported? Or what happened?"
In the confinement room, Chris sighed deeply:
"Of course not reported. Although I suffer from severe post-traumatic stress disorder post-war, can't stand children..."
"But I wasn't reported. The day Margaret died, I was being awarded, and actually... for that country, I was considered a hero."
Wen Xishu continued to ask:
"Chris, have you killed children?"
Chris shook his head:
"I've killed, killed many; on the journey, if the pure target were children, I'd choose to do other things, like drive, or patrol reconnaissance."
"Only when faced with non-children would I kill."
"I'm not a Good Person... but I really haven't killed those children."
"I know my soul is destined for Hell, just like my comrades say, war is war; once it starts, life is just a number. The larger this number, the sooner the war ends."