Chapter 37: The Dean Takes Action

“You have obtained an important item: [Toto's Handcrafted Mask].”

“Your storyline exploration has increased.”

“Current exploration progress is at 51%.”

“You can choose one reward from the following three options.”

“1.
Increase upper limit of mental power by 10 points.”

“2.
Increase mental power recovery rate by 10%.”

“3.
Increase resistance to mental erosion by 10%.”

Upon hearing the system prompt, Gu Yi couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

A single mask provided 20% exploration progress, indicating how extraordinary it was.

As for the three options, Gu Yi chose the third one without hesitation.
He had already realized the importance of resistance to mental erosion.
In the end, he would have to face the Unspeakable, and without a high resistance, it would be difficult.

“Thank you.”

Gu Yi nodded to the shop owner and left with the pig-head mask in hand.

After finishing the free activities, having lunch, he returned to his hospital room.

Gu Yi hid in his room and put on the mask.

This mask was obviously different from the others.
As soon as he put it on, Gu Yi heard some meaningless murmurs.
It seemed that the will of “I” still lingered on the pig-head mask.

Lying on the bed, Gu Yi began to Deduct with the pig-head mask on.

(The deduction begins!)

(You walk out of the hospital room.)

(You feel freer than ever before.
No one questions or interrogates you on the road.
You can even confidently use the staff elevator in the kitchen.)

(Whenever you concentrate, you can see what a person is currently thinking.)

(It turns out that the shop owner's mind-reading ability relies on the pig-head mask.
The pig-headed people have always been involved in the sales process, thanks to this special ability.)

(The mind-reading ability can be used every ten minutes and can only be used consecutively three times.)

(To successfully activate the mind-reading ability, you must ask specific questions; otherwise, it won't work.)

(After thinking for a while, you decide to deceive someone and obtain a dog-head mask, completing the collection of all the masks in the hospital.)

(You find a security personnel.)

(He is staring at the hospital map absentmindedly.
You immediately activate the pig-head mask's ability and ask what the security personnel fears the most.)

(The pig-head mask's ability activates.)

(You see in your mind the door to Room 0 and a gigantic spider hanging from the ceiling.)

(You ponder for a moment.)

(The security personnel won't break the rules, so it's impossible to make them commit a crime and be sent to Room 0.)

(Therefore, you must use a different bait to lure the security personnel.)

(When the deer-headed person is threatened, the security personnel will appear immediately.
If you can trick the deer-headed person into entering Room 0, can you then trap the security personnel?)

(You steal the master key from the underground floor and head to the treatment room on the second floor.)

(Using the pig-head mask, you easily gain the trust of a deer-headed person.)

(You bring him to the entrance of Room 0.)

(You: Once you go in, you'll see the best Petz in our hospital.)

(The deer-headed person nods and enters the room.)

(You quickly close the door and hide outside, watching the spectacle.)

(Screams come from inside the room.)

(Shortly after, another man's screams come from inside.)

(You quickly open the door and walk in.)

(The giant spider has already eaten the deer-headed person, and the security personnel has been severely injured.)

(The spider turns its head upon hearing your voice.)

(You smash a glass bottle and release a live toad.)

(The toad extends its tongue, entangling the spider.)

(The giant spider immediately shrinks to normal size and is swallowed by the toad.)

(You remove the mask from the security personnel's face.)

(Suddenly, footsteps can be heard outside the door.)

(You turn your head, and four or five security personnel appear behind you.)

(Security personnel: You…
you've destroyed Room 0?)

(The security personnel looks at you in shock, unable to speak.)

(You suddenly remember something.)

(All the security personnel considered Room 0 to be the only form of punishment, and now that the spider inside Room 0 has been destroyed by you, the rules do not specify how to handle someone who violates the law after the spider's death.)

(Hence, all the security personnel are shocked and at a loss for what to do.)

(You collect the mask, swallow a red pill, transform into a monster, and easily break through the security personnel's blockade.)

(Your mental power has become stronger.
Even after transforming into a monster, your power has become even greater than before.)

(You have collected all the masks, feeling that you are just a step away from the truth.)

(You decide to go directly to the secret room in the second basement to solve the puzzle.)

(More security personnel come running and block your path.)

(You easily deal with them.)

(A Elephant masked person with a hammer approaches.)

(You also put on the elephant mask and easily defeat the elephant person.)

(You arrive at the entrance to the second basement's corridor.)

(You see the Dean standing in front of you.)

(The Dean takes out a pen and paper and writes two lines.)

(A void fills your vision.)

(You die.)

(The deduction ends!)

“Damn it, I actually forgot about this guy!”

Gu Yi opened his eyes and slapped his head hard.

Throughout the entire time, the Dean and the Unspeakable had always remained hidden, never showing themselves.
But this time, the Dean actually took the initiative to intervene and stop him.

The pen and paper in the Dean's hand were like a Death Note, capable of killing him with a stroke of the pen.

With his current power, he had no chance of fighting against the Dean.

However, one thing had to be clarified.

Did the Dean come personally because he knew that Gu Yi had collected all the masks, or was it because of the massacre he had carried out in the basement?

Gu Yi thought for a while and felt that both possibilities were highly likely.

But regardless of the reason, he had to find a way to prevent the Dean from personally capturing him.

Breaking through the encirclement by brute force was impossible.
He must have a better solution, a more covert way to obtain the masks.

Gu Yi took a deep breath and started to deduct once again.

(The deduction begins!)

(You reflect on the lessons learned and decide to change your action strategy.)

(From the previous deduction, you have a rough understanding of the efficiency and scale of the security department personnel.)

(When the Deer-headed Man met with the mishap, the security department noticed the anomaly about three seconds later and quickly arrived at the scene.)

(After the security personnel is eliminated, backup personnel arrive in an even shorter time.)

(You encountered three groups of security department personnel in the basement, with approximately four to five people in each group, meaning a maximum of fifteen personnel of the entire security department team.)

(Their combat abilities are not particularly strong.
With the red pill consumed, you can easily handle a small group of security department personnel.)