novellk Chapter 1712 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [56] [First Major Stage: Russian Roulette]
Chapter 1712 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [56] [First Major Stage: Russian Roulette]
Chapter 1712 Final Chapter - The Shore Crossing [56] - [The Eleventh Stage - Russian Roulette]
“I will explain the specific rules myself,” Heididoa said with a smile, pointing to the exquisite silver-lacquered pistol on the table. “The revolver on the table has six magazine positions. Only one of them is loaded with bullets—which one, nobody knows.”
...Russian roulette.
When Su Ming'an chose the game, the icon was a circle of numbers. He didn't expect it to be Russian Roulette, a game purely based on luck. Noel loved playing it and often saw him playing with crows... except they shot candy instead of bullets.
Today, the gun barrels are filled with real bullets.
“Please pay attention to the hammer,” Heididoa pointed to the gun. “The hammer is now pointing to the first position of the magazine. This is public information, and you can check it at any time.”
Su Ming'an looked at the pistol; the silver hammer was indeed aligned with the number "1" engraved on the magazine.
“The rounds will proceed in a fixed order, starting with Miss Chang Yue,” Heididoa nodded to the girl, “then Mr. Alger, and finally Mr. Su Ming’an. Each round, the person whose turn it is must do two things—”
"First, publicly announce your objective: whether you will shoot yourself or another player."
"Second, the decision to rotate the magazine is made secretly. You need to give a hand gesture behind your back: thumbs up for 'rotate,' and thumbs down for 'don't rotate.' No one else can see your gesture. The system will execute it automatically. Please note that once the decision is made, it cannot be changed."
Heididoa held the teddy bear close to her face and said gently, as if coaxing a child, "If you rotate the magazine, the hammer will randomly point to one of six positions, and will automatically move to the next position after firing. If you don't rotate it, the hammer will stay in place, and will automatically move to the next position after firing."
"If the magazine that the hammer is pointing at happens to be full after the shot is fired, the target player will die immediately and the game will be lost."
"If the magazine pointed to by the hammer is empty, it's an empty gun, and the target player is safe. Then it's the next person's turn."
"The game will continue until only one player remains. That sole survivor is the winner and can leave to move on."
Heididoa smiled and put down the teddy bear, the sapphire blue veil flowing like ripples on water: "The rules are simple: luck, courage, wisdom... Please begin the game."
苏明安垂眸思索……六个弹仓，初始击锤位置1。旋转会重置概率，不旋转则一直按照1-2-3-4-5-6-1的顺序移动……这是一场新颖的俄罗斯转盘，并不全靠运气，策略与智慧占据很大因素。
“Well then,” Heidi clapped her hands gently, “the game begins. Round one, please make your choice, miss.”
All eyes were on the girl.
Chang Yue suddenly looked up, her face pale and her lips trembling: "I...I...Su Ming'an!"
Su Ming'an was startled by her sudden loud voice. He turned his head and looked at the girl, whose face was flushed with nervousness.
"Can...can I have your autograph?" the girl shouted, as if she had used all her strength in that shout, and she also handed over the pen she was carrying.
"Hmph." Alger chuckled and turned his head away. He clearly realized how ridiculous the statement was; in the end, only one person could survive, and the girl couldn't take the autographed item out of the house.
"Why didn't you run away?" Su Ming'an asked as he signed the document.
"Huh?" The girl was taken aback.
"Yueyue could have led you to escape before... Why didn't you go with the main group? Even if you were just a consciousness without a physical body, you could have survived," Su Ming'an said. "Do you think you could be one of the final thirteen winners?"
The answer is clearly no.
The girl was silent for a moment, then clenched her sleeves and whispered, "I haven't met the great god Lu Shu yet."
"Do you know Lü Shu?"
“No… I have a friend who owns a pet shop, and she knows Lu Shu. I’m a regular customer at her shop. Ryoko-nee gave up this opportunity; she feels that a peaceful life is good enough.”
"But I don't think it's a good idea. I know that if I follow Yueyue, I might retain my consciousness... but would that even count as living? Just a bunch of data, a single thought... I don't want that. Since I've decided to come, I'll see it through to the end."
“The world has changed. Points, dungeons, life-or-death games… I don’t want to just adapt. Ryoko-nee chose her shop and a stable life. I can’t… Every night when I close my eyes, I see you all fighting on the other side of the screen… You’re just like us, yet you’ve reached such a high level.”
“I didn’t run away because I wanted… at least once to see you not through a screen, but even if it was just standing at the same table.”
Her voice began to tremble.
“I know I am weak and not smart enough. Since I have chosen to sit here, I will not wait to be chosen by the bullet of fate. Mr. Su Mingan, Mr. Alger, I will try to think like you.”
She gave a faint, clean smile, and her panic gradually subsided.
Su Ming'an remained silent for a moment before speaking: "So, even at the cost of one's life?"
“Young people are always impulsive, and I had no worries. I had nothing left, so I dared to take a gamble,” Chang Yue said. “I’m surprised I’ve come this far. I never thought I could be just an ordinary worker, that I could actually get this far…”
Heidi clapped her hands, and the little bear in her arms made a soft rustling sound.
“A truly brilliant monologue, Miss Chang Yue,” he said with a smile. “Please state your choice: whom will you shoot? Will you rotate the magazine?”
The girl's gaze darted between Su Ming'an and Alger, her fingers twisting tightly around the cuffs of her sweater until her knuckles turned white.
“I…” she took a deep breath, “I shot Mr. Alger.”
Alger's eyes suddenly turned cold.
“Then,” the girl closed her eyes, “I choose… the rotating magazine.”
Instead of making secret gestures, she gave the answer directly.
Heidi nodded with a smile. The revolver on the table suddenly emitted a soft "click"—the magazine began to spin rapidly, slowly coming to a stop a few seconds later. The hammer's direction blurred for a moment, finally settling on…
The numbers were obscured; only Chang Yue, the one who fired the shot, could see them.
Heididoa announced, "Please execute the order to fire."
The girl's hand trembled as she reached out and grasped the gun handle. Her hand was too small; she could barely hold it. She turned the gun towards Alger, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger—
"Click".
The crisp mechanical sound was particularly jarring in the silence.
Empty gun.
Chang Yue slumped into the chair, panting heavily. Alger's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Safe,” Heididoa said. “Mr. Alger, please choose.”
Alger stared at the gun on the table. He saw that the hammer had moved to position 5, so Chang Yue had verified that position 4 was a cavity.
The hammer is currently at position 5. If Alger does not rotate, there is a 20% probability that he will fire at position 5. If he rotates, the probability is reset to 16.66%, and the hammer will randomly point to a new position.
“I’ll shoot her.” Alger pointed at the girl without hesitation, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “As for whether it spins or not… heh.” He made a gesture behind his back.
Su Ming'an's heart skipped a beat.
“Confirmed,” Heididoa said. “Mr. Alger fired at Miss.”
Alger picked up the gun. His movements were practiced and fluid, clearly not the first time he had handled a gun. He pointed the muzzle at the girl's forehead.
“I’m sorry, young lady,” he said.
Chang Yue opened her eyes wide, tears welling up in them, but she bit her lip and did not beg for mercy.
Alger pulled the trigger.
"Click".
Another blank shot.
Chang Yue swayed, almost fainting. Alger clicked his tongue and put the gun back on the table.
Heididoa tilted her head: "Mr. Su Ming'an, it's your turn."
Su Ming'an picked up the silver-painted pistol; it felt icy cold to the touch. The hammer was now in position 6. He could tell that Alger had verified that position 5 was definitely an empty cavity, but since it was unclear whether Alger had rotated the magazine, he couldn't determine whether Chang Yue had verified that position 4 was an empty cavity.
Su Ming'an looked at the two of them. Alger stared at him, while the girl lowered her head, not daring to meet anyone's gaze.
As the last to act, Su Ming'an's every decision among the three is based on the latest information. If he can accurately calculate the bullet's possible location, he can manipulate the hammer's movement, directing it towards a high-risk position during the opponent's turn.
“I shot Alger,” Su Ming’an said calmly, making a thumbs-down gesture behind his back to indicate that the magazine would not rotate.
“Confirmed.” Heididoa’s voice held a hint of amusement. “Mr. Su Ming’an fired at Mr. Alger.”
Su Ming'an gripped the gun. The grip was cold and heavy.
He pulled the trigger.
"Click".
Empty gun.
Su Ming'an slowly lowered his gun.
“Safe,” Heididoa said. “Round one is over. Now we begin round two. The order remains the same. Ms. Chang Yue, please begin.”
Su Ming'an lowered his eyelids.
Based on the current information, the bullet is definitely not in positions 5 or 6. The hammer is currently in position 1. If Chang Yue doesn't rotate, and she fires at herself or someone else, there's a 25% probability the bullet will be in position 1.
From Alger's perspective, the states of positions 4 and 5 can be determined. Since Su Ming'an did not disclose whether he rotated the magazine, Alger cannot determine whether position 6 is an empty cavity.
From Chang Yue's perspective, she was unaware of Alger and Su Ming'an's rotations and couldn't know that they had ruled out positions 5 and 6. In her eyes, she knew from the first shot that position 4 was a cavity, and since the hammer was in her hand at position 1 this time, she knew that position 6 must be a cavity.
Whether the magazine rotates or not creates different information discrepancies among the three parties.
Chang Yue stared at the gun, her face pale, her fingers gripping her sweater tightly until her knuckles turned blue.
“I…I shot Mr. Alger,” she whispered. “I choose…to spin.”
Another spin. This means the probabilities are reset again, and the probability of getting a bullet from 1 to 6 is equal.
Heidi nods. The magazine rotates.
The girl pulled the trigger with trembling hands.
"Click".
Empty gun.
She slumped in the chair, tears and sweat mingling together.
Heididoa turned to Alger: "Mr. Alger, please."
Alger suddenly laughed.
"I fired at Su Ming'an," he announced directly, "with a rotating magazine."
Su Ming'an's expression remained unchanged.
“Confirmed,” Heididoa said.
Alger picked up his gun and aimed it at Su Ming'an. His eyes were like those of a predator locking onto its prey.
"Let's see how long your luck lasts, number one player," he said.
Pull the trigger.
"Click".
Empty gun.
Alger's expression froze for a moment, then returned to its coldness as he lowered his gun.
Alger had previously sworn to Su Ming'an that he would do everything in his power to help Su Ming'an, and Su Ming'an would find a way to help Alger revive Godoria and win back Alger's soul.
But now, the two are at loggerheads, as if they have tacitly forgotten the vow and neither of them mentions it, as if they are waiting for something.
Heididoa said, "Mr. Su Ming'an, please."
Su Ming'an glanced at the hammer; the position was 5. This meant that Alger had verified that 4 was a cavity. Chang Yue's verification information was unclear because both she and Alger had rotated the magazine.
I've already verified in the first round that the bullet isn't in positions 5 or 6.
Therefore, the bullet could be in position 1, 2, or 3, with a probability of 33.3% each.
The hammer is currently in position 5. If he doesn't spin, firing now will definitely result in a cavity shot. In the next round, the hammer moves to position 6, but position 6 is now cleared of bullets, so it will be safe for Changyue to fire from position 6 in the next round. However, if he spins, the probability resets to 16.6%.
“Mr. Su Ming’an?” Heididoa reminded him, “Please make a choice.”
Su Ming'an raised his head and glanced at Alger and Chang Yue.
“I shot myself,” he said, giving a thumbs-down gesture behind his back.
Alger frowned, clearly surprised by the choice. He stared at Su Ming'an, seemingly trying to determine whether Su Ming'an had rotated the magazine.
Based on Alger's information, he knew that position 5 must be an empty cavity, and he also knew that Su Ming'an knew this information. Su Ming'an dared to shoot himself, most likely because he didn't have a rotating magazine and knew that this shot would definitely not fire a bullet. Chang Yue's next target would be position 6.
However, it could also be the opposite of what's expected, betting on an 83% probability that a bullet won't be randomly drawn, leading Alger to misjudge the state of position 6. After all, Alger doesn't have information about position 6, and if he makes a wrong judgment, he could easily be trapped by randomness.
Su Ming'an gripped the gun and pressed it against his temple.
He pulled the trigger.
"Click".
Empty gun.
Su Ming'an slowly lowered the gun, his breathing becoming steady.
“Safe.” Heididoa’s voice was appreciative. “The third round begins, Ms. Chang Yue, please.”