Chapter 59: Picking Up Sister from School (3)

(You notice the teacher's clothes, there are no creases on them at all.)

(In your eyes, your sister doesn't have a physical presence, rather than simply being unable to see her.)

(You have a severe cognitive impairment, to the point where you can't even confirm your sister's existence through a third party.)

(I can't figure out this problem for now, let's solve the immediate challenge first.)

(You reach out your hand into the air.)

(You: Come here.)

(You pay attention to the teacher's gaze, trying to determine your sister's position to confirm she is back by your side.)

(Teacher: It's getting late, you should take Yao Yao home.)

(You: Okay, Yao Yao, do you want to go home now?)

(You look at the empty space beside you, while from the corner of your eye, you keep watching the teacher.
Unfortunately, the teacher doesn't pay attention to you.)

(You can't determine your sister's reaction through the teacher's expression and language.)

(You take your sister's hand and walk to the school gate, greeting the security guard.)

(You: Yao Yao, don't you want to say goodbye to Uncle?)

(The security guard turns his head and looks at the empty space beside you.)

(Security guard: Goodbye, be careful on the way.)

(You: Isn't Uncle off work yet?)

(Security guard: Hey, we all get off work at seven.)

(After saying that, the security guard turns his head and ignores you.)

(You feel a chill down your spine.)

(Your phone rings.)

(Your palms are sweaty as you take out your phone and glance at it.)

([Run.])

(The anonymous user has sent another message.)

(You can't control your limbs, and a truck races past you.)

(You are hit by the truck and sent flying to the ground.)

(Your vision turns blood-red.)

(You're dead.)

(The deduction is over!)

Gu Yi opened his eyes.

“I seem to overlook something…”

This time, Gu Yi was still unable to successfully leave elementary school, but he had found the correct method of communicating with his sister.

That was by judging his sister's reaction through the responses of the people around him.

As he was leaving the campus, without a third party as a reference, his sister must have been asking him a question, but he failed to provide a timely response, triggering the instant death flag.

“Now that I know the method, it is easier to handle.
It's time for me to take the initiative.”

Gu Yi had 15 points of mental energy remaining, enough for one deduction or three backtrack deductions.
To ensure fault tolerance, Gu Yi decided to lean against the school gate and take a short nap.

After a while, Gu Yi opened his eyes, fully restoring his mental energy.

He took out his phone to check, and indeed, the countdown still displayed [6 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes.]

“Backtracking.
This time, it's my turn to take the initiative.”

(Deduction Begins!)

(You are standing at the entrance of your sister's classroom.)

(Teacher: Oh? You're Gu Yao's brother?)

(You: Yes, hello, teacher.)

(You turn your head to look at the classroom and walk towards the table in the far corner.)

(As you enter, you finally notice a red school bag.)

(This is the thing you have been overlooking.)

(Since your sister is perceived as a real presence by others, she must interact with other people or objects.
But what would happen if you were to interact with her before she interacts with anything else?)

(There is only one school bag in the classroom.)

(You didn't notice this detail during your previous deduction because you were denying your sister's existence from the bottom of your heart, so you didn't bother to observe the classroom.)

(You help your sister organize her school bag.)

(You hear the sound of tables or chairs moving and footsteps.)

(You can perceive your sister to some extent now.)

(You help your sister tidy up her school bag, and you find an empty bottle of almond water inside.)

(You: Did you finish drinking your water? Are you thirsty?)

(You hypnotize yourself, telling yourself that you are a caring brother, and your tone becomes very gentle.)

(You don't hear your sister speaking.)

(The teacher approaches you from behind.)

(Teacher: Gu Yao seems to have been feeling down lately.
Is there something happening at home?)

(You remain silent for a moment.)

(You notice another detail: whenever you actively ask your sister a question, the reactions of third parties are strange as if your sister has become silent.)

(Just like when you asked for her opinion at the dinner table, and even your mother was annoyed by your sister's silence.)

(You: Maybe it's because my parents are busy with work.
They only accompany her to school during the day, but I'm the one who picks her up at night.)

(Teacher: When can your parents come to the school?)

(You: I'm basically in charge of taking care of my sister.
I help her with her homework.)

(Suddenly, you feel a tug on your sleeve.
You turn around and it seems like something transparent is holding onto your clothes.)

(You feel certain in your heart that you can finally sense your sister's presence.)

(Teacher: In that case, why don't you come with me, and Yao Yao can wait here for a while?)

(You: There's no need.
Let her come with us.)

(You put your sister's red school bag on your back and follow the teacher to the office.)

(The female teacher takes out the eerie painting of your sister, and at the same time, your phone rings, but you don't check it.)

(Holding the painting, you contemplate for a moment, then squat down to look at the air in front of you.)

(You: Yao Yao, who is the one you drew?)

(You don't hear any response.)

(Female teacher: Gu Yao, your brother is asking you a question.
Why aren't you responding?)

(Suddenly, You feel a coolness on the back of your hand, as if some liquid is dripping on it.)

(You taste it, it's salty, it must be tears.)

(You become alert.)

(You: You drew me, right?)

(Your sister's image suddenly becomes clear in front of you, and she is looking at you with a terrified expression.)

(Sister: No, it's not you, brother!)

(The void tides spread around you.)

(You feel a wave of suffocation.)

(You are being consumed by the void.)

(You died.)

(The deduction is over!)

“It seems like another instant death flag has been added, but why is that…”

Gu Yi stroked his chin.

Now, Gu Yi can basically confirm that the person with cognitive impairment in the family of three is “I,” or perhaps “I” may be the Unspeakable?

No, that can't be right.

The condition for clearing the dungeon is to “eliminate the unspeakable,” so it doesn't make sense for “I” to be the unspeakable.

The anonymous user on the phone is likely the “sister” from a parallel timeline, rather than the “sister” from this town.

Could it be that the memories of the two sisters have overlapped?

The reason for triggering the instant death flag might be that he revealed the true meaning of the sister's artwork, which suggests that in her perception, “I” might be the person who was killed in a car accident.

If that's the case…

Is this dungeon telling the intersecting stories of two parallel timelines?

Would the sister in the other timeline also have an invisible brother?

Why does speaking the truth trigger the instant death flag instead of fulfilling one of the conditions for clearing the dungeon, which is to unravel the truth?