After resting up, Garett and the antiheroes put out the campfire that Ashley had conjured up and once more set out into the cave for adventure.
Of course, they ensured to be excessively cautious this time around. Trevor stood at the front, using his [Track Enemies] skill to listen to even the slightest change in noises.
After climbing out of the crater using Ashley to fly up, they entered a tunnel which started out as a red dirt tunnel however eventually went deep enough to reach a gravel, and finally a limestone layer.
The limestone was covered in cracks from the deep roots of the large trees, which protruded into the tunnels that the party walked through.
As they walked through the tunnels, Garett had a bittersweet memory of the previous dungeon they were in.
To be honest, he never wanted to see a dungeon again after that, but the group was already significantly more powerful than they were since before they had come here. Even though they had already been subject to one trap, and an enemy who was higher level than they were, the fact of the matter was that it seemed that they were stronger than the enemies of the same level.
In that sense, it really was like a single player game. The player would always be able to defeat enemies of the same level as him, without much sweat. This meant that the player at level 10 for example, was stronger than a level 10 enemy.
It was somewhat dangerous to make too many assumptions based off of games, but there were so many aspects in this world that were similar that Garett couldn't help but use games as a base for his knowledge of this world.
Garett remembered his father.
He wished he could see him again. What would his father think if he was in this world, filled with nothing but luck and probability?
As Garett was thinking this, a message appeared.
[Does one dress like a sheep because they are a wolf, or perhaps because they are a cow? A cow, with the juiciest of meats would dress as a sheep in order to avoid being picked first for the slaughterhouse. Or perhaps, one simply is a sheep, and so there was no need to dress up in the first place?]
A, Sheep
B. Cow
C. Wolf
The three options presented themselves to the group.
"What is this? Is this supposed to be some sort of puzzle?", Samantha asked.
"It appears to be another one of these events... however, looking at things objectively, regardless of what we pick we are likely to get the short end of the stick.", Trevor responded.
Garett pondered what the phrase was asking.
Clearly it was referring to the phrase "Wolf in sheep's clothing". It referred to predators and prey. Furthermore, it was asking whether they were predators or prey.
"It's talking about clothing... Is this thing insulting us on these hideous outfits you made us wear!? I won't take such an insult! I'll have you know that I look good in anything!", Samantha shouted at the system.
However the system only continued to blink.
Sometimes Garett really did wonder if this system was controlled by someone or if it was some sort of advanced AI.
However, its lack of response in times like these pointed toward the latter conclusion.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Even so, the things it came up with were oddly human. Could it perhaps be taking things from the minds of people?
"Well, while I won't say that what you just said is a lie, I think you're completely missing the point here. As expected of a useless woman with an IQ that is potentially negative. Here are the possibilities I can think of based on the options we have. If we select that we are a wolf in sheep's clothing, it could put us in a situation where we are the hunters and we are surrounded by prey. Of course, this could also mean that we are put in a situation where the 'shepherds' are there to drive us off, or the 'hunters' are there to kill us, in order to protect the 'sheep'. Either way, the situation could be good or bad. If we select the cow option, I cant see anything good about this choice aside from the possibility of being not noticed and spared for the time being, however it is likely that we will be 'found out' and hunted first. If we select the sheep option, we might also be hunted, or we might be protected by these 'shepherds'. Well, that's all assuming of course that I have interpreted the situation correctly, which isn't completely certain." Trevor explained.
After listening to Trevor, the group members all nodded in understanding. Samantha seemed to be angry, but she was able to hold herself back from responding to Trevor's comment. Perhaps she had realized his indirect praise of her in saying "Well, I won't say that what you just said is a lie".
"The major flaw I see with this reasoning is precisely that it is too logical." , Garett noted. "What if there's some deeper meaning, or what if there isn't actually any logic to it at all? It's entirely possible that you're correct, however that would assume that this system is following a very logical and thought out process with these questions... which, by what I have seen, is not exactly always the case."
Trevor couldn't disagree with Garett, and this was why he held doubts about his own reasoning.
The system was very random, and sometimes it seemed like it was playing games with them.
"What should we do?", Samantha asked.
Ashley, who had been staying quiet the entire time, came up with an answer.
"Could be this... could be that... it could be anything. If you don't know for certain what the answer is, then you're more likely to get it wrong by thinking about it. Just guess and be done."
This was another painful truth for Ashley.
Take a true or false question.
If one understands the premise and concept the question is referring to, thinks about the logic to the question, and comes at a conclusion, but misses a single tiny detail that is unspecific or unclear, or if there is a detail that the person who wrote the question has overlooked, or did not expect anyone to be smart enough to understand at the higher level, then the people who understand the concept better will actually get it wrong- with certainty. On the other hand, the people who randomly guess or only understand an extremely basic version of the concept are more likely to get it right.
So what was the point in thinking then?
In real life, even a single error can lead to a disaster. At the same time, two errors can cancel each other out. This is one of the vexing and frustrating aspects of life that Ashley felt all too well, to the point where she no longer saw any point in trying to understand things on a higher level.
"Let's go with wolves. If we get hunted, I'll just shoot some fireballs at them, Of course, you'll back me up?"
Ashley asked this to Trevor, who nodded firmly.
They were different from before.
They were getting stronger. Eventually they would be able to take on any opponent. While this didn't mean they were allowed to be careless, thinking too much about a rock paper scissors situation was pointless. They would never come to a conclusion if they kept on saying 'what if this' and 'what if that'. Just pick an answer and get on with it.
And with that, Wolf was automatically selected as the party came to a unanimous agreement.
[Hoh? Lying I see? Or perhaps not? Come to me and prove that you are wolves, and I will allow you to escape if you can bring me to my knees. If you had done as you should and laid down like sheep to the slaughter, I would have spared you a painful death too...]
This thing was definitely intelligent.
Was this the being behind the system? Or was it simply someone communicating through the system, like Claire and Oscar had done?
Only time would tell.
With this, the group teleported from their location into a wide open space. It was dark, and they could not see any walls or floor nearby. The only thing they saw was....
Cobwebs.
Cobwebs everywhere.
And they were stuck in them.
All four party members found themselves stuck to a giant web, their four limbs spread out while of course covered in their silky clothing.
It one ignored the fact that they were not insects, it would look as if they were simply the caught prey of a spider. Garett tried to move his limbs, but could not. His hands and feet were stuck to the web.
The others also struggled to move, however with no luck.
All of a sudden, the cobwebs that they were stuck to began to vibrate.
Twang.
Twang.
Something was coming.
[Hello my little wolves... But what is this? Perhaps you were sheep after all?]
It was a creepy female voice that said this, however Garett had seen enough movies to know where this was going.
They were trapped, in the web of a giant spider.
----