“Impossible…”

My voice choked slightly as I felt my entire life suddenly being overturned.

“Why is it impossible?” Baiyang asked. “You’re a smart person now—you should be able to discover the clues yourself, right?”

“Myself…”

“You always feel like there’s something wrong with your memory, so what about the days you spent in the ‘End Land’—do they have problems?” Baiyang said. “Sometimes looking at things from a different angle makes everything crystal clear.”

After hearing this, I slowly furrowed my brow… Baiyang had pointed out a direction I had never considered before.

In other words… in the real world, I was actually just an ordinary person who couldn’t be more ordinary?

The words Baiyang said to me during our first “armchair strategizing” session suddenly echoed in my ears:

“Yan Zhichun, I almost forgot you’re a smart person.”

Why did he say that back then? What did he mean by “almost forgot I’m a smart person”…?

The more I thought about this matter, the more my entire body trembled.

My favorite phrase to say to others was “I’m not a smart person.”

But why did I always have “I’m not a smart person” on my lips?

Does that sound like something a smart person would say?

“What do you mean ‘I’m not a smart person’?” Jiang Ruoxue’s words also echoed in my mind. “There aren’t that many smart people in this world to begin with—does it need to be specially emphasized? I’ve never heard anyone introduce themselves by saying ‘I’m very smart.'”

The reality was clearly that I believed I had some wisdom and could solve and analyze most difficult problems, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I would first emphasize “I’m not smart.”

Excessive humility is arrogance. If I had always been a smart person, wouldn’t speaking this way be annoying to others?

I would tell everyone that I had been mediocre since childhood and needed to read more books to keep up with everyone else’s pace.

I said that I had poor memory since childhood and needed to learn various memory techniques to help with studying.

Someone who was mediocre, had poor memory, and was constantly isolated since childhood—yet was actually someone who had always been very smart?

In this place where normal people couldn’t even hope to “survive,” I had established a massive organization and day after day tried to figure out the psychology of true monsters.

Was that reasonable?

Yes… thinking carefully, my entire life had been full of contradictions…

My thinking didn’t match my personality.

It was like the difference between nobility and nouveau riche…

I simply didn’t know how to properly treat my own wisdom. Even though I could guess many things… my words were always permeated with inferiority.

I simply couldn’t be as confident as Baiyang…

Because his wisdom was his own, while my wisdom had fallen from the heavens…

Even when every sentence I spoke was correct, I found it hard to believe myself.

Because I had made many guesses in this life, but never once guessed correctly, so I would always subconsciously deny myself.

If I had possessed this kind of wisdom since childhood, how could I have always denied myself?

Thinking this way, everything actually started to make sense…

But did I really kill my roommate?

Using such a method full of holes?

“Yan Zhichun, you are very learned,” Baiyang said. “But unfortunately, you don’t know how to use your own learning. You’re like a treasury without a door—your many talents can’t find an outlet for expression. I simply installed a door for you. The knowledge is all your own. Your thinking now is more active than before and can apply this knowledge to various places.”

After hearing this, I looked at Baiyang and slowly swallowed, as some bizarre scenes began to surface in my mind.

In my memories, I truly wasn’t a smart person. I worked hard to follow everyone’s pace, but could never keep up no matter what.

I had already worked very hard at reading books and studying, but I only knew how to memorize by rote… My brain wasn’t that active.

“Brother Yang… when exactly did it start?”

“From when you gained memories,” Baiyang said. “Yan Zhichun, I discovered your treasury and simply changed your way of thinking about handling matters, so you don’t need to feel inferior. What you rely on now to walk in the ‘End Land’ is still your own knowledge.”

I see…

No wonder for so long I had never preserved my memories…

If I were truly a smart person, how could I have been stuck for so many years?

If I were truly a smart person, how could I be so fascinated by Baiyang, another smart person?

“But there are indeed some side effects,” Baiyang said. “Modifying a person’s character and traits can easily lead to unpredictable consequences. In other words, only when my thinking is clear can your memories be clear. So don’t force me to make confused thoughts, or else it won’t just be me who goes crazy, but… you people as well.”

“You people…?” I seemed to have grasped some bizarre key point. “Brother Yang… are there many others here like me?”

“Not many, but very important,” Baiyang said. “But you can rest assured—I won’t mistreat anyone.”

Although Baiyang didn’t comfort me, I have to say… I actually felt much more at ease.

Baiyang’s style of doing things had always been like this. He would do many things that looked very much like a villain’s actions, but as long as I firmly believed his ultimate goal was to liberate this place, I wouldn’t be defeated.

I would always help Baiyang, just as I told Jiang Ruoxue… I would help him, always help him until I helped him to a result.

“The time is about right,” Baiyang said. “Yan Zhichun, next I will tell you about the ‘Ultimate Mission.'”

“‘Ultimate Mission’…?”

“You can’t accomplish this mission on your own,” Baiyang continued. “It will require all the effort you’ve poured in over these years.”

“Alright, tell me…”

I didn’t know why Baiyang’s way of speaking had changed like this. He was deliberately avoiding the two words “Extreme Path.” He could have told me directly to “rely on the power of Extreme Path,” but instead changed it to “all the effort you’ve poured in over these years.”

Was this a path he was laying down for himself? Was he subconsciously forgetting about “Extreme Path”?

“In about two or three more years, I will also completely disappear from this game venue,” Baiyang said. “I need you to keep a low profile during this time and expand your own strength and your team’s strength.”

“You… are going to disappear again…?” I paused.

“Yes, when that time comes, this game venue will be directly cleared,” Baiyang continued. “Just like last time, if you find that I’m gone, you can try to find me, except this time it will be more difficult.”

“‘Difficult’ means…?”

“Probably no one will know where I am,” Baiyang said. “Not even Baishe or ‘Karma.’ Baishe couldn’t possibly know my situation, and ‘Karma’ also can’t see the future I’m planning.”