Chapter 156: The Trolley Problem (3)
Chapter 156: The Trolley Problem (3)
Chris was extremely wary of Dr. W.
— His talent and abilities, which he had always prided himself on, were utterly ineffective in front of Dr. W.
It was like a healthy person suddenly becoming blind, feeling completely lost and disoriented.
Chris tried to maintain his composure, not letting Dr. W see any signs of panic. Until he understood Dr. W's position, Chris didn't dare to reveal his true nature.
Dr. W led Chris into a screening room, and they both took seats.
"Popcorn?"
"Sure."
Dr. W nodded and snapped his fingers.
A box of popcorn fell from above, landing in Chris's lap.
After a few bites, Chris's nervousness began to subside. He realized that Dr. W didn't seem to mean him any harm; in fact, he seemed quite friendly toward him.
"I want to ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"When you chose to abandon all your compatriots just now, was it just to pass the level? Or if you were really faced with such a situation, would you really sacrifice your compatriots to save yourself?"
Chris pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I don't know, I just felt that if it were the people of Wapeng answering these questions, they would all act in the same way.
During these six days, I've come to see that they are a group of people who disregard kinship, friendship, and love. I thought the way to clear this dungeon was to discard all human emotions.
But in the last exam, I realized it might not be the case."
"Oh? Really?"
"Of course."
Chris nodded vigorously, his expression as solemn as could be.
Dr. W burst into laughter. "What if I told you that you're about to face this very problem in reality? What would you do then?"
"What do you mean?"
Dr. W tapped the floor lightly with his cane.
The surroundings of the screening room vanished, leaving only the chairs they were sitting on.
Passing through a void, they once again appeared above Gotham City.
"This place, it's familiar, isn't it?"
"Of course."
"Now, If I tell you that every decision you make in the weird world can affect the real world. What will you do?"
Chris was stunned. "So, does that mean the team leader and the president will die?"
"Yes."
"Huh? So, our decisions in the weird world will affect the real world?"
"Exactly."
Chris was momentarily speechless.
Filling out the exam paper, Chris had written those three names just for a prank, never imagining the serious consequences his actions would cause.
"So, you now have a decision to make. The fate of the entire Lighthouse Country is in your hands.
If you choose death, your country will be free from danger and no longer troubled by the weird world.
If you choose freedom, you will become a host like me, no longer needing to take risks in the weird world, and you will possess supreme power.
What do you choose?"
Chris furrowed his brow. Upon realizing that the land beneath him was truly his homeland, he hesitated for a moment.
Based on his classmates' choices during the previous exam, he should sacrifice himself to save all his compatriots.
But if he followed the host's earlier suggestion...
Before Chris could speak, a barrage of comments appeared around them.
"Why even hesitate? Just go die!"
"One side is over 300 million people, the other is just you. Anyone knows which is more important."
"Chris, don't make the wrong choice."
"Your family and friends will be well taken care of. You will become a hero to all humanity."
"You can't be selfish!"
Countless comments flooded Chris's mind, all pressuring him to choose death.
Unable to use his talent, the intense mental onslaught nearly drove Chris mad. He took a deep breath, finally regaining his composure from the chaos.
"What's your decision, Chris?" Dr. W asked with a smile. "Your choice is...?"
"I choose freedom!" Chris yelled furiously. "All these stupid humans, every single one of them, can go to hell! They brought this on themselves!"
Chris's eyes were red with rage.
If only...
If only one person had told him not to die, Chris might have considered sacrificing himself. After all, his ambition was to be remembered throughout history. Being remembered as a hero wouldn't have been too bad.
But...
But not a single person among these ignorant humans considered his well-being. They were just a bunch of selfish and arrogant fools.
At that moment, Chris completely betrayed humanity and chose to surrender to the weird world!
"You're right, Chris. Humans — they're not worth saving. Join us. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes you will bring to the weird world."
Dr. W laughed heartily and placed his hand on Chris's head.
Chris's form gradually became transparent until he disappeared entirely.
As Dr. W was sending Chris away, he suddenly noticed an anomaly in the dungeon where Gu Yi was. An unexpected void invasion had occurred during the final exam.
"Strange... Is there some kind of malfunction?"
Dr. W pondered for a moment.
Gu Yi was one of the adventurers most valued by the master and possessed the ability to foresee the future. It seemed unlikely that he would perish so easily.
"I should have a proper talk with this Mr. Gu."
...
In the real world.
The sky over Lighthouse Country was shrouded in darkness.
Professor Scranton looked up at the dark sky and sighed helplessly.
"The end... has come."
Scranton glanced at his right hand. From his fingertips to the palm, from the palm to the wrist, and from the wrist up the arm — his body was gradually turning into stone.
Silence fell over the entire Lighthouse Country.
Everyone was transformed into lifeless stone sculptures.
The darkness in the sky continued to spread, slowly moving towards neighboring countries. Those countries where the adventurers had already died were the first to suffer. Before their deaths, everyone saw the faces of the sacrificed adventurers.
They all harbored resentment, cursing humanity with the most venomous words.
"Do you know what that watch meant to me? No, you don't!"
"Sacrifice one for the happiness of millions? Well, now I'll sacrifice millions for my own happiness, how about that?"
"You wanted me dead, didn't you? Now that I'm gone, it's your turn to join me in hell for some fun!"
The darkness crossed the ocean, heading towards Dragon Country.
The end — it was truly approaching.
...
Gu Yi opened his eyes to find himself back at school.
His legs were broken, rendering him unable to move.
The invigilator approached Gu Yi, looking worried.
"Child, are you alright?"
"Um... both legs are broken." Gu Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "What about our exam?"
"First, get your injuries treated. What's the rush with the exam?"
After saying this, the invigilator turned to leave.
At that moment, the examiner who had been awarding Gu Yi his exam rewards approached, carrying a bag of dream fragments. He walked up to Gu Yi.
"Kid, you're Gu Yi?"
"Yes."
"The principal wants to see you."
"But my legs..."
"No worries, I'll concoct a potion for you right now. You'll be up and jumping in no more than three minutes."