??

He Yuliang was clearly stunned for a moment.

Only belatedly realizing something, the confusion and astonishment on his face gradually shifted to horror.

His eyes went vacant for a moment, as if he was checking his Data Panel again to confirm the skill description of [Paradox Protection].

It took him a good while to snap back to reality, looking at Jiang Ye with disbelief.

"M-m-monster... You mean, you saw me turning into a monster?!"

Jiang Ye shook his head. "Not you turning into a monster, but the perspective of you as a monster."

"But you don't need to be too pessimistic," he added, resting his chin on his hand as he speculated. "If I'm not mistaken, the [Paradox Protection] skill should work like this—"

"When the modification level of your life experiences is less than 50%, you retain your self-awareness."

"When the modification level is greater than 50% but less than 100%, you fall into an out-of-control Confusion state."

"And when the modification level reaches 100%, this Confusion state automatically disappears, and you regain self-awareness."

"However, this self-awareness at that point is an entirely new self-awareness, which is the 'Rebirth state' mentioned in the skill description."

"Furthermore, based on the skill description, it's not hard to see that the duration of your 'Confusion state' probably won't be very long."

"Because after you fall into the Confusion state, the life experience modification level achievable by skill effects one, two, and three can reach over 50% at most!"

"That is to say, just triggering the skill effects a few times can achieve a significant modification of life experiences..."

"Then, reaching a 100% life experience modification level, transitioning from the Confusion state to the Rebirth state, shouldn't be difficult."

"Of course, according to the skill description, the modifications of life experiences in effects one, two, and three are all random."

"Meaning, already modified life experiences might be modified again."

"So, reaching 100% modification might not be a simple probability issue."

"For example, suppose you have a certain life experience that, for some special reason, cannot be easily modified..."

"Then your life experience modification level will never reach 100%, and you will be forever trapped in the Confusion state."

"Of course, these are just my simple speculations."

"My skill can be triggered again in 6 hours. Want me to check for you again then?"

Jiang Ye was quite interested in this bizarre skill.

But as he speculated, He Yuliang's face grew increasingly pale...

He suddenly realized that this passive skill named "Protection" directly dictated his life!

Even if he didn't want to trigger this skill now, didn't want to enter the Confusion state... it seemed useless!

Passive skills were completely beyond his control!

And the so-called "probability events," he couldn't possibly avoid experiencing them!

At this moment, gripped by intense fear, he suddenly had some doubts:

"Even if I'm completely out of control in the Confusion state, under the effect of [Paradox Protection], I shouldn't die that easily, right?"

"If I'm really lucky enough to progress from the Confusion state to the Rebirth state... then will that reborn 'me' still be me?"

"Since life experiences are 100% modified, the reborn me would be completely different from the original me. Would the SSS-grade Luck talent also disappear? Replaced by a new talent?"

"Then, would the [Paradox Protection] skill also disappear? So, essentially, it's also a one-time skill?"

"If I use the skill [Reroll Life] now, and my talent drops from SSS-grade to S-grade, then the [Paradox Protection] skill disappears..."

"But if it drops to SS-grade, the [Paradox Protection] skill continues to exist. Then, after I trigger Rebirth in the future, can I still retain the effect of [Reroll Life]?"

Jiang Ye, of course, couldn't provide answers to this series of doubts.

But he still offered a slight hint:

"Generally speaking, in skill judgment, SSS-grade skills are definitely superior to SS-grade skills."

"That is to say, the Rebirth effect caused by the SS-grade [Paradox Protection] should not affect the effect of the SSS-grade [Reroll Life]."

"Of course, that's just the theoretical situation..."

"But in reality, I feel your [Paradox Protection] effect is a bit too bizarre..."

"So it's not impossible that when you enter the Confusion state, or achieve the Rebirth state, this skill might directly upgrade to SSS-grade or even SSSS-grade :)"

"......"

He Yuliang really wanted to say: Thank you so much for analyzing all this for me, it's really heartwarming!

He was starting to regret it a bit. If he had known this skill was so dangerous, he might as well have used [Reroll Life] directly before entering the "Hidden Prison Room"!

Of course, using it now...

Coming back to this moment after dying in the future?

It shouldn't be too late, right?

However, as soon as he thought this, Jiang Ye poured another bucket of cold water on him, analyzing seriously:

"Originally, looking at the [Reroll Life] skill alone, your talent might indeed drop to S-grade."

"But with the addition of effect one of [Paradox Protection], I think after you use [Reroll Life], your talent probably won't drop to S-grade. It might not even drop at all."

"......" He Yuliang was utterly speechless. So this was just unsolvable, huh?

Jiang Ye comforted him again: "But you don't need to worry too much. After all, the skill description says everything will develop in a direction favorable to you..."

"So maybe the 'Rebirth' state you ultimately obtain is also favorable to you."

"It's just that the process of reaching Rebirth will involve a period of chaos."

"......" He Yuliang fell silent for a moment, finally sighing helplessly: "I'll take that as you comforting me, sigh..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but tentatively ask: "By the way, your talent... it couldn't also be SSS-grade, could it?"

Jiang Ye didn't answer, his gaze shifting to that Du Yuheng.

He asked He Yuliang again: "You and that kid reported to school almost one after the other. Did you notice anything noteworthy about him?"

At this moment, he and He Yuliang were standing in the corner near the back door of the Grand Auditorium, quite far from the 6 newcomers gathered on the stage.

He Yuliang glanced at Du Yuheng from afar, thought for a moment, and first pointed out a suspicious point:

"First, whether they are real players or NPCs, one thing we can basically confirm is—the information on our watches follows the same rules."

"And among these rules, one thing is quite clear—"

"The more severe our crime, the less initial time we have."

"My initial time was the least, probably because I used [Void Stomach] to devour players."

"Our 'comrades' probably also have little initial time because they killed many people before."

"This Du Yuheng, his initial time is also low."

"But according to his description... he said he just accidentally killed someone, and his parents covered it up for him."

"If that were really the case, his initial time shouldn't be as low as ours, the 'comrades'."

Indeed, this was also a point Jiang Ye suspected.

He followed up by asking He Yuliang: "So you think..."

He Yuliang gave Du Yuheng another covert glance, quickly withdrawing his gaze, and said in a low voice:

"Either this Du Yuheng, like our 'comrades', has killed more than one person. The number of killings caused his initial time to be low."

"Or, his situation is similar to mine..."

"That is, he not only killed people but also ate people."

He lowered his voice for the last sentence.

Jiang Ye remained silent for a moment, then asked: "Did you go to the Cafeteria with him? What was this kid's attitude towards veteran players eating human flesh?"

He Yuliang regretfully shook his head: "My mind was quite shaken at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to observing."

"But I vaguely felt there shouldn't be anything abnormal."

"And at noon, he didn't eat the human flesh in the Cafeteria either."

Jiang Ye nodded in understanding and asked: "Besides this suspicious point? Any other abnormalities?"

He Yuliang thought for a moment, ultimately shaking his head: "His behavior shouldn't have any abnormalities..."

As he spoke, he also pondered.

Until he finished that sentence, He Yuliang suddenly reacted: "Wrong!"

"No abnormality is his biggest abnormality!"

"According to his earlier description—"

"He was sent to some school by his parents. He said he initially thought it was the school his parents sent him to, until he saw strange phenomena and realized something was wrong..."

"But I didn't notice him showing the process of 'realizing something was wrong'!"

Saying this, He Yuliang's eyes widened, and he quickly continued analyzing:

"That is to say..."

Jiang Ye stopped him from further analysis.

Because there was no need for him to analyze. The information revealed by this "abnormality" of having no abnormality was already quite clear—

When Jiang Ye asked the 6 newcomers about the "initial prison" question.

Du Yuheng was the first to answer, stating he hadn't experienced an "initial prison."

Including Jiang Ye's subsequent questions, he was basically the first to answer each time.

That is to say, his answers were not based on referencing the other 5 newcomers but were independently given by him.

But his answers were clearly lies.

Yet his lying answers did not contradict the answers given by the other 5 newcomers.

So there were roughly only two possibilities—

Either the other 5 newcomers also lied based on Du Yuheng's lying answers, cooperating with his deception.

But Jiang Ye basically ruled out this possibility.

First, those 5 youths with clear foolishness in their eyes really didn't seem like they were lying.

Except for the bespectacled youth whose Authority Level was "Indifferent Youth," the other four "Foolish Youths" were indeed quite foolish.

Five not-so-smart youths, just because Du Yuheng gave a lying answer, immediately reacted and cooperated in lying, doing it flawlessly without Jiang Ye detecting any clues...

Unless they were all master actors, Jiang Ye found it hard to believe.

And honestly, all 6 of them lying like that would be meaningless.

If they could really cooperate in lying, they might as well fabricate experiences of an initial prison and chat group.

So, after eliminating the possibility of all 6 lying.

The remaining possibility was—

The 5 newcomers besides Du Yuheng all told the truth.

And Du Yuheng, who answered first without any flaws, knew in advance how those 5 people would answer!

Then he decided to disguise himself as a newcomer like those 5!

So Du Yuheng's real situation...

Perhaps he really was a "comrade" with some special talent?

Among the 75 people who "time-traveled" together in the black ice domain, Jiang Ye didn't know all of them either.

There were a full 21 players, like Zhao Dongliu and the other four, who came from across regions, whom Jiang Ye didn't know.

This Du Yuheng might be one of those 21?

But if that were the case, why wouldn't he reveal his identity?

Alternatively, excluding the option of being a "comrade" who time-traveled together, perhaps Du Yuheng was a newcomer with some special identity from the start?

Special identity newcomers had three possibilities—

The first and simplest: newcomers who had been "Pardoned" before and later re-offended.

The second and most terrifying: "Superior People" from normal cities who disguised themselves as criminals, like what Song Jie experienced!

The third: a certain type of player that might exist in the era setting of this "Doomsday Prison" that Jiang Ye doesn't know about.

For example, a Reincarnator?

Or, an NPC?

Even possibly, a VIP?

Or, excluding NPCs and players, an even more special type of existence?

Of course, the main reason for having these speculations was still...

The two words Du Yuheng uttered to him like a secret code—Jiang Ye.

As Jiang Ye pondered this, he saw the 6 newcomers, led by Du Yuheng, gathering towards him and He Yuliang again.

Because Jiang Ye had clearly received preferential treatment from several veteran players.

These six newcomers naturally showed deference to him.

Du Yuheng was the first to call out: "Senior?"

"How's your chat going?"

"Should we now conservatively think about how to survive? Or aggressively consider how to escape this damn place?"

"And this watch, I wonder if it can still be taken off..."

Speaking of these, Du Yuheng's expression showed no abnormality.

Even his actions of fiddling with the watch revealed Disgust towards this Prison watch.

Jiang Ye thought for a moment, then suddenly threw a direct question at him:

"When you joined us as a 'comrade,' you exchanged a secret code with me."

"Now I want to ask you—"

"Why did you say that particular secret code?"

"Ah, this..." Du Yuheng's expression instantly turned somewhat strange.

Even because of his strange expression, the atmosphere within this not-so-stable 8-person small group grew tense and stiff.

The air remained silent for a long time.

Du Yuheng shrunk his neck, as if somewhat afraid, and weakly gave his answer:

"Answering this question might get me beaten..."

"But since you asked, Senior, I really shouldn't hide it anymore."

"The main reason I said that secret code is—I possess an SSS-grade [Mind Reading] talent..."

"Senior, above your head, well, um, those two words are displayed..."