Because of Love

"Are you sure about option four?" "What else? It feels like the first three are all possible, but none of them are entirely certain. In situations like this, the hit rate for 'all of the above' is very high. Trust me." Sonia had no objections either. She couldn't be certain which was correct, and though she felt option three was more likely, the future was fickle and ever-changing; using the past to deduce the future was fundamentally unreliable. Since the Watcher was strongly arguing for option four, four it was—if it turned out wrong, she could just blame him. With a thought, Sonia checked option four. Instantly, the paper radiated a rainbow luminescence, and the characters began to shift— [Congratulations, you answered one question correctly. Would you like to continue?] "It's actually right!" Sonia was genuinely surprised. "See? Trusting me never goes wrong." As a former college master of coasting by, Yaxiu had immense confidence in blindly guessing multiple-choice questions. "What's the second question?" After Sonia chose to continue, the paper morphed to reveal a second prompt: [Question · Single Choice: What was the reason Sword Princess and the Watcher reconciled after falling out?] [1. For the greater good] [2. To confront a common crisis] [3. Because of love] [4. All of the above] "This time it's definitely four again—" "Impossible!" Sonia shook her head vehemently. "Three is definitely wrong, so it can't be four." Yaxiu spread his hands, the corners of his mouth curving into a crescent. "Oh, come on, this is just something that might happen in the future, not something that's set in stone. Why are you so shy? Just treat the Destiny Q&A with an ordinary mindset—" Sonia nearly roared at him, "Then get your emotions in check before you talk! You can't even hide the gloating glee in your voice!" After their squabble, Sonia looked back at the prompt, considered it, and said, "It should be one. If it's for the greater good, we could temporarily set aside our differences no matter how much we fought before." Yaxiu didn't push her buttons any further and nodded seriously. "True, one is the most likely. Besides, the probability of two consecutive questions sharing the exact same answer isn't high." It wasn't just test-taking logic; even by rational deduction, Yaxiu felt option one was the most reasonable. First of all, the Watcher and Sword Princess had already fallen out. How could two people who had severed ties harbor love? Aside from practical interests, what else could force them back together? After spending so many days with her, Yaxiu had long realized Sword Princess was someone who prioritized personal gain above all else. As for himself, an old corporate drone, what would he talk about if not practical interests—feelings? After a brief discussion, Sonia decided on option one. When she willed her choice, murky gray light seeped from the text on the page, looking distinctly ominous. [You answered incorrectly. The Destiny Q&A has ended. You may begin asking questions.] Wrong!? Both Yaxiu and Sonia were stunned. Out of the remaining three options, two contained 'because of love'—meaning there was a two-thirds probability that they would reconcile in the future because of love!? "Thinking about it carefully, maybe it was option two? It's also very possible for two people who broke apart to let bygones be bygones to confront a common crisis—" "Mm-hmm, I think so too." Such a stiff attempt to pivot the topic made the atmosphere increasingly awkward, even bordering on ambiguous. Sonia hurriedly changed the subject. "Then what's your question?" "Mine is very simple." Yaxiu looked down at his prompt. [Question · Short Answer: Who did Shilin Dole die after seeing?] "Speaking of which, why are yours multiple choice while mine are short answer?" "Probably because of the temporal distance," Sonia guessed. "If a question is set too far in the future, it would be utterly impossible for me to deduce the correct answer with my current information, so the Destiny Q&A provides choices for me to pick from. That way, there's at least a chance of guessing right. Your question might be set very close to your present time, so you could figure it out on your own, which is why it didn't give you any options." She paused. "Is this Shilin the mastermind you mentioned before?" "Yes," Yaxiu said. "So the answer is obvious." With a thought, Yaxiu submitted his answer: [Shilin Dole died after seeing Yaxiu Heath.] The script on the paper shifted into a rainbow glow: [Congratulations, you answered one question correctly. Would you like to continue?] After Yaxiu confirmed, a second question appeared on the paper: [Question · Short Answer: Through what channel did the Watcher escape the Blood Moon Country after breaking out of prison?] Yaxiu shared the question with Sonia. Sonia looked somewhat puzzled. "No options? No options means you should be able to deduce the correct answer from your existing intel. Did you guys plan an escape route for after the breakout?" "Does wilderness survival count?" To tell the truth, Yaxiu and the others hadn't really thought about how to flee after escaping. Once out of prison, everyone would inevitably fend for themselves, each pursuing their own agenda without any need for mutual consultation. A complete amnesiac like Yaxiu had little choice other than plunging into the untamed wilderness to live like a savage. But Igola, Langna, Ronald, and even Harvey were all local figures who likely had private safehouses of their own; why would they ever share them with fellow convicts? "Then do you know of any ways to leave the Blood Moon Country?" "No idea." Yaxiu looked utterly blank. "Right now, I don't even know where the borders of the Blood Moon Country are." Unable to reach a clear conclusion, Sonia mused, "Since we can't think of anything specific, let's pick from the most common routes. It's either assuming a fake legitimate identity and leaving the border via normal transportation, or finding a smuggler broker and leaving the country via illicit transport. And among illegal transports, shipping by boat is the most common..." "A fake legitimate identity is out of the question. Boarding public transportation in the Blood Moon Country definitely requires scanning an identity chip, and once my chip is removed, I'm never having another one implanted," Yaxiu said. "That means it has to be through an illegal channel. Compared to land routes that are easily intercepted, water transport really is more likely... Alright, let's go with boat!" [The Watcher escaped the Blood Moon Country by boat after breaking out of prison!] With a soft puff, a wisp of murky gray mist rose from the paper, as if mocking Yaxiu's incompetence. [You answered incorrectly. The Destiny Q&A has ended. You may begin asking questions.] Yaxiu and Sonia had anticipated this, so neither felt particularly disappointed. After all, they had no clues and were purely guessing based on loose logic; the odds of stumbling onto the right answer were slim to begin with. Still, Sonia was slightly puzzled. "That shouldn't be. If the Destiny Q&A asked a question a sorcerer couldn't possibly answer, wouldn't that just be outright bullying? You definitely know how to leave the Blood Moon Country; you just haven't realized it yet." "Maybe the Void Realm heard me call it a cheap bitch earlier, so it's deliberately targeting me." "Then you really had it coming... Still, if even the Void Realm believes you'll successfully break out of prison and escape the Blood Moon Country, it looks like you don't need to worry about the Blood Moon Trial." Yaxiu thought to himself that she was right. Not just this question, but the previous ones—how Shilin died, and how the Watcher and Sword Princess fell out and reconciled—all proved he wouldn't be turned into ketchup in the Blood Moon Trial. Otherwise, how could he have any future at all? This was the greatest benefit of the Destiny Q&A: by examining the questions, one could indirectly glean insights into their future, providing invaluable reference points for assessing their present predicament. Now that the answering phase was over, the questioning phase began. The two looked at the papers in their hands. Sonia said, "We can't ask anything too preposterous; it's best kept within the bounds of One-Winged Silver. Although information about the Destiny Q&A is scarce, one principle holds true across the Void Realm: the reward is proportional to the effort. We only got one question right, so the return granted by the Void Realm definitely won't exceed that scope." Yaxiu nodded. "The answer to this question should ideally increase our combat strength immediately. With the second Blood Moon Trial drawing near, every extra bit of strength improves my chances of survival." At that point, a simultaneous flash of inspiration struck them both, and they blurted out to each other in excitement: "The Golden Fish!"