booktalesy Chapter 4293 3 questions
Chapter 4293 3 questions
Chapter 4293 Three Questions
"My questions are very simple. If you each answer three questions to my satisfaction, I will let you pass through here."
My question is—
As Nomefens finished speaking, the expressions of both the Master of Pleasure and the Decayer changed.
Normeffens' problem is, in some ways, quite simple.
Even those who haven't studied "question and answer" have heard of it.
But having heard of it doesn't mean you can answer it, because Normefenes was asking... the three ultimate questions of philosophy.
"who are you?"
"Where are you from?"
Where are you going?
This question, though seemingly simple, is a fundamental inquiry into the nature, origin, and destiny of human existence, and it is also the root proposition that runs through the entire discipline of philosophy.
Therefore, when the Master of Pleasure and the Decayer heard these three questions, they felt their heads buzz and were completely dumbfounded.
Is this a question they can answer?
Normeffens is giving them far too much credit.
However, even though they were skeptical that they could answer this fundamental question, they had no room to back down.
The rules are laid out before us; if we don't answer them, we'll be stuck on this dead end forever.
If you answer, at least there's still a chance.
Moreover, do Normefenes' three questions truly point to ultimate questions? He himself might not even be able to answer such questions.
Even in the philosophical academy or the Citadel of Faith in the wizarding world, such questions only present forward-looking conceptual explanations and cannot actually be answered by anyone, because even the teachers themselves do not know the answer.
Thinking of this, they exchanged a glance and began to ponder how to answer this...three questions about life.
……
Time goes back a few minutes.
After a moment's thought, Angor finally decided to let Liriel and the Decayer in.
Firstly, the newcomer was not the cruel scholar himself, but merely Liriel and the Decayer.
Leaving aside the withered one for now, regardless of whether there are any problems, Angor will eventually find a way to bring it into the Dream Crystal Plains.
As for Liriel, Angel is confident he can handle her.
Moreover, Liriel has now just reached the edge of the Dream Crystal Plains.
Outside the Dream Crystal Plains, Liriel might be able to use the power of dreams to perform some extraordinary feats; but once she steps into this place, all power must abide by the rules of the Dream Crystal Plains.
Since Liriel cannot reach the coordinates of the Dream Crystal Plains in her true form, she cannot escape the rules here.
Secondly, while avoiding the immediate risks may seem like escaping them, it also means pushing everything into the unknown.
He was well aware, of course, that letting them in posed a hidden risk.
However, this risk is actually within a controllable range.
On the contrary, retreating and allowing hidden dangers to fester in the shadows will cause the risks to become uncontrollable.
Therefore, it's entirely worth taking a risk to get a chance to find out what the cruel scholar is really up to, and to see just how far this devil's methods can go.
Of course, the most important point is the third one.
Liriel and the Decayer will not enter the Dream Crystal Plains directly, but will first arrive at the "Interrogation Labyrinth".
The Interrogation Maze is similar to a standalone instance; even if they are allowed in, it is extremely difficult to probe for information about the Dream Crystal Plains through this instance.
Moreover, the interrogation maze is under Normefens's control, and if it so desires, it can completely control the progress of the maze; whether to advance or retreat is entirely up to it.
Therefore, with the "Interrogation Maze" as a buffer zone, Angell felt it was perfectly acceptable to put it in and give it a try.
Furthermore, although the Cruel Scholar is considered to be among the "gods," he is actually only at the legendary level, on the same level as Mr. Sun and Ms. Moon.
Back then, even the Sun and Moon Wizards couldn't break through the shackles of the Uriel instance to reach the Dream Crystal Plains; now, what waves can Liriel, who is far inferior to the Sun and Moon Wizards, make?
With this in mind, Angor ultimately chose to let the Decayers and Liriel enter the Labyrinth of Interrogation.
He and Normefens went to the dark void above the labyrinth of interrogation to observe their behavior from an overhead perspective.
And indeed, things turned out exactly as Angell had predicted.
After Liriel stepped into the labyrinth of interrogation, her body adapted to the rhythm of the Dream Crystal Plains.
Liriel could no longer summon magic, and her threat level instantly decreased.
Next, Angell witnessed Liriel's transformation from initial confusion upon arrival to cautious exploration.
And this is exactly what Ingres wanted.
Because they are currently in the Interrogation Maze, and the core challenge of the Interrogation Maze is: the Wall of Questions.
Angor had previously asked Nomefens if the questions on the Wall of Questions could be customized, and Nomefens had given an affirmative answer. In other words, he could certainly use the questions posed on the Wall of Questions to explore some of the underlying truths.
Coincidentally, there was a Wall of Questions near their "birth point," and this Wall of Questions was something they were bound to face.
Angell immediately began to think about how to pose his questions.
Asking directly for the reason, in my opinion, is a bit too blunt and deliberate.
This might put Lillie on her guard.
Questions like "the purpose of cruelty scholars" and "to what extent can cruelty scholars go" are not off-limits, but rather require a stepping stone.
Or rather, the reason for asking.
Anyway, there are many walls of questions in the interrogation maze, so these more detailed questions can be asked later when there is a reason.
So how should we choose the opening question?
According to Normefens, the Wall of Questions can only ask three questions, which is the underlying rule given to it by the powers of the Fairy Realm.
Too much is no good, and too little is no good either.
The number "three" immediately reminded Ingres of the ultimate philosophical question—the three questions about life.
Ironically, the three questions about life, as long as one doesn't think of them in a "philosophical" way, are actually quite suitable as opening questions to explore their general purpose.
"Who are you?"—This question reflects the other person's most fundamental self-awareness and current stance.
If she could go a step further in her answer, it might be possible to uncover Lillie's true nature, such as her connection with the cruel scholar.
"Where do you come from?"—This question can be traced back to the origin and cause of their actions.
Were they sent on a mission, or did they embark on their own exploration? The answer will point to the origins of the forces and motivations behind them.
"Where are you going?"—this question represents their purpose and scheme.
What exactly are their goals? In other words, what exactly do cruel scholars want to achieve? Perhaps we can glean some insight from this answer.
More importantly, anyone with a basic understanding of philosophy knows that these three questions are broad and open-ended, making it difficult for Lillie to be alert to her true intentions.
Of course, Ingres did not expect to test the boundaries of the cruel scholar with just these three questions.
These three questions are just the starting point; the real challenge lies in the subsequent "wall of questions."
……
Questioning the maze, asking the question before the wall.
After hearing Normefens pose the ultimate philosophical question, the owner of the Pleasure Pavilion paused for a moment and said, "Can we discuss this before answering?"
A cold sneer peeked from the slits of Normefens's statue, his voice carrying a mocking tone reminiscent of metal scraping against stone: "Discuss? I told you long ago, you two need to answer yourselves. Do you think you can come up with a tacitly agreed-upon answer?"
It paused, golden ripples spreading across the wall, its tone becoming more mocking, "Or are you saying that you need others to help you figure out where you came from, where you're going, and what your true intentions are?"
"Different walls of questions have different rules, but my rule here is: no room for negotiation!"
The owner of the Pleasure Pavilion looked slightly unpleasant, but she quickly composed herself.
Although Normefens rejected her proposal, its sarcasm actually provided some additional information.
For example, the owner of the Pleasure Pavilion was hesitant about whether to take the "philosophical" approach and delve deeper into the answer to the essence of existence, or to take a slightly more "realistic" approach.
Now, when she heard Normfins's words, "You even have to rely on others to figure out where you came from, where you are going, and what your true self is," she made a decision.
Normeffens clearly preferred to know their "reality" rather than their "philosophical background."
In addition, Normfins threw out a new clue: there is more than one Wall of Questions, and different Walls of Questions have different rules. Perhaps there are some questions on the Wall of Questions that the two of them can discuss.
Of course, this clue is not useful for the time being; answering these "three questions about life" is the most important thing.
After hesitating for a moment, the owner of the pleasure hall decided to speak.
However, to the surprise of the Pleasure Pavilion Master, the Decaying One spoke to Normefens first, saying, "Let me answer first."
Nomefens' golden eyes turned to the withered one: "Yes."
The Decaying One: "The first question is, who am I?"
"If this question is about my identity, then I have many identities. I wonder which one Your Excellency Normeffens wishes to know?"
Normefens did not answer, but simply stared at the decaying one.
The withered one sighed, intending to use this opportunity to test which answer Normefens preferred, but the other party did not take the bait.
That's okay too.
Since it has now decided to embark on a new path, it might as well reveal its past identity. Perhaps one of those identities will satisfy Normefens?
"I am now both a 'lost soul' trapped in nothingness and a 'withered one' examiner of the Chapters of the Heart, and I was once a follower of the Venerable Scholar and a leader of the City of Faith..."
As he spoke, the Decayed One observed Normefens's expression.
The other person maintained a downward gaze without any change in expression.
The withered one had no choice but to continue dissecting.
He revealed all his various identities in the abyss.
Normefens remained unresponsive. After a moment of silence, the Decaying One slowly said:
"However, compared to these, the identity I prefer is still my original name, the 'Seeker of the Way' of the Prusha civilization, the 'Scholar of the Stars' of the Star Academy... Elsas."
Elsath.
The withered one was clearly speaking his own name, yet he felt inexplicably unfamiliar with it.
This unfamiliarity stems from the power of time... It hasn't used this name for a long time, and it hasn't heard anyone call itself by this name for a very long time.
And it itself doesn't want to recall this name, because every time it does, it's like touching the skeleton of a civilization that has long since weathered into stone.
Every mark touched by memory is a past it buried by its own hands, a light it dares not look back at, and countless names that vanished with the stars.
Bringing up these past events again will only drag it deeper into a vortex of nothingness from which it cannot escape.
Therefore, it deliberately kept the name hidden away.
So much so that when it was mentioned again, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
The Decaying One was bewildered by the "unfamiliar" name, but the Master of Pleasure noticed a hint of satisfaction flash in Nomefens's eyes.
Is it satisfied with this answer?
Was it because the Decaying One revealed his true name? Should I also reveal my true name?
After a moment of distraction, the Decaying One heard Normefens's voice: "Next question."
Although Nomefens did not explicitly express whether he was satisfied, his initiative in raising the next question suggests that he might be satisfied.
The withered one nodded: "Second question, where did I come from?"
The decaying one continued to dissect the past little by little, according to his own ideas.
From the Chapter of the Heart to the City of Faith, then to the metaphysical concept of the Abyss, and then gradually to the journey in the void, finally tracing back to the Prusha civilization.
Finally, Normefens once again showed a satisfied expression.
The owner of the pleasure hall also began to see some of the tricks of the trade.
The decaying thing seemed to be answering Normefens's question in a clumsy way, but in reality it had fallen into self-deconstruction and was even eager to tear itself into pieces and spread them out in front of the wall of questions.
It is not answering the question, but rather using Normeffens's questioning to complete a self-disclosure that has been long overdue.
It reveals the glory buried by time, the obsessions crushed by war, and the souls of Elsath hidden beneath the codename "The Decayer," long forgotten.
The owner of the pleasure hall watched in silence.
She had vaguely heard about the Decayer, knowing that it was once one of the top seekers in the City of Faith, known for its rationality and dedication to truth. Later, it suddenly changed its personality, becoming not only withdrawn and insane, but even its appearance changed as a result.
She didn't know the reason before, but it was only when the Decayer said that his civilization had perished that she suddenly realized.
The decaying are the orphans of civilization.
It hides a past that it cannot and does not want to mention.
In the past, it kept these things buried deep in its heart and was unwilling to speak them out; but now, taking advantage of the opportunity of "three questions about life," it is digging out that buried past little by little.
Therefore, what Normefens may be satisfied with is not its past and identity of "quantity", but its courage to face the past and its true self again.
If that were the case, the owner of the pleasure pavilion began to worry about her next answer.
Her past wasn't as despairing as the Withered One's; in fact, many in the Southern Region knew about it. Could these well-known answers truly move Nomefens?
(End of this chapter)