Number 3 was just about to say something when it suddenly received a message from the other immortals.

【We've received another message from the Thirteenth Author. It uses the same encryption method. This time, there's only one sentence, so we can decipher it soon.】

Number 3 was shocked. It hurriedly said, 【Stop. Don't decipher that message!】

“Are you scared?” Xu Fang said from beside it.

【Xu Fang, I get it now. All these baffling conversations were just you people baiting Number 1 into speaking, so you could interfere from the sidelines.】

The immortals at the Immortal Conference looked at one another.

Just as they were about to ask what was going on, an unexpected figure appeared before everyone.

【Number 1?!】

【It's Number 1! Oh my god, it's been so long since we've seen you here.】

Number 1 looked around at the immortals and said, 【Decipher the message from before.】

After receiving the order, Moulton deciphered the result in just a few minutes.

There was only one sentence—six characters.

The Thirteenth asked Anonymous to solve a riddle. At the time, Anonymous had given one answer: “offer”.”

And in this word game, that verb determined everyone's fate.

Everyone stared at the deciphered result in stunned silence. The next second, Number 1 appeared before Numbers 3, 5, and 8, as well as Xu Fang.

「I acknowledge Xu Fang as my master.」

【Although it's a sentence stitched together, every character really did come from something I said.】 Number 1 explained.

【Number 3, the time weapon.】 Number 5 reminded it.

【It's too late. That happened during the fifth iteration. There's no way to go back that far.】 Number 3 sighed. 【Number 1 can't lie… Forget it. We can't keep Xu Fang here.】

【But, but…】 Number 8 was extremely unwilling to give up and glared viciously at Xu Fang.

Xu Fang ignored the other immortals and simply stared straight at Number 1. Number 1 stared right back at him.

In the end, Xu Fang let out a long breath and said, “Number 1, your existence is meant to balance out the unfairness in the struggle between the Authors and the immortals. My guess was right, wasn't it?”

Number 1 answered, 【In the early stages of an iteration, my memories are erased and I'm assigned to the Authors' side until I'm awakened. That's one of the rules of a bizarre event.】

【That's way too unreasonable. Even the readers are complaining about this deus ex machina.】 Number 5 muttered under its breath.

“Number 1, put me down.”

The moment Xu Fang finished speaking, he realized he was already standing on the ground.

Xu Fang rolled his wrists. “Number 1, can you destroy the other immortals?”

【I can't.】 Number 1 answered bluntly.

【We've signed a contract. Number 1 can't do anything detrimental to the immortal world. Xu Fang, you got lucky this time. Go back to the real world.】 Number 3 spread its hands, its tone still tinged with reluctance.

Xu Fang asked Number 1, 【What contract?】

Number 1 didn't answer.

Number 3 said contemptuously, 【Revealing the contract's contents would harm the immortals' interests. Number 1 won't tell you.】

“Even if it acknowledges me as its master?”

【I can use my own authority to act on your behalf, but I can't violate the contract.】 Number 1 said.

Xu Fang understood. The contract took priority even over Number 1 itself.

“I want all the Authors to return to the real world and be restored to the state they were originally in. Can you do that?”

【I can only let you leave, and after you leave, I'll have to pay a price for this action.】 Number 1 replied like a human-shaped machine.

Leave? Just return to the real world like this? Prepare to make a comeback?

Xu Fang had a premonition that if he left like this, he'd never have another chance to return. Daoist Priest, Ye Zhi, Luo Xiaoming, and the others would have sacrificed themselves for nothing.

“Number 1, how are you ranked?”

【Contribution points. Doing things for the immortal world raises your contribution points. The more contribution points you have, the higher your rank.】

“How many contribution points do you have? And how many people are there in the Eternal Life Church?”

Number 1 didn't answer. Clearly, this was part of the “contract.”

Xu Fang lowered his head, burying his face in shadow so that his expression couldn't be seen. Soon, he raised his head again, looking as if he had made up his mind.

“Number 3. How about we play a game? If I lose, I'll give up all control over Number 1 and let you do whatever you want with me. If I win, I want you to release all the Authors.”

Number 3 had originally been preparing to leave, but upon hearing Xu Fang's words, it turned around and looked at him with interest.

【You're betting yourself against the other Authors? Are you worth that much?】

“I can guarantee that I'm extremely rare, and that I can bring you greater benefits.” Xu Fang spread his arms, displaying himself like a piece of artwork. “Right now, you have a chance to keep me here. All you need to do is take the risk of betting against me.”

Xu Fang couldn't see its eyes, but he could feel its greedy gaze. It was thinking.

【Xu Fang, if you expect to use that little bit of Number 1's authority to defeat us, that's impossible. The immortal world belongs to all immortals. No individual's power can control it. If you lose, Number 1 won't be able to protect you either.】

“So does that mean you've agreed?”

【Fine. You can only bet on Zhang Empty, Owen, and Yoriko. The other Authors have already been assimilated and become part of the Eternal Life Church. We can't release them.】

“All right.”

Xu Fang continued, “Number 1, I know you can't harm the immortals' interests. But if Number 3 indirectly causes harm to the immortals' interests by losing the game, then the bet should take priority, right?”

Number 1: 【Yes.】

Number 3: 【I'll summon all the administrators to participate in this game.】

A quarter of an hour later, the thirteen immortal administrators gathered in this black-and-white space.

They looked bizarre, most of them taking forms that were impossible to describe.

One of the immortals looked especially familiar. It was the outline of a shadow, not very tall, with indistinct features and an even more unreadable expression. It stood silently among the “crowd,” without moving at all.

The administrator from the Customer Service Center?

Xu Fang remembered the little black figure urging him to update back then.

“Who is that?” Xu Fang pointed at the little black figure and asked Number 1.

【Number 2.】

“What is your relationship with Horror Novel Web?”

Number 1 didn't answer.

Was that part of the contract too?

Number 3 explained the situation to all the immortal administrators, and each administrator reacted differently.

Within their “gazes,” Xu Fang saw varying degrees of greed and wariness.

【Not long ago, another Author “challenged” us.】

【The result was tragic for her.】

【Why didn't he run back to the real world?】

【Hee-hee, maybe he thought he was the protagonist.】

Number 3 waved its hand, and a row of tables and chairs appeared out of nowhere. The immortals took their seats one after another. Everyone had a seat except Xu Fang.

Xu Fang didn't mind. He looked around at all the immortals, then finally turned to Number 3. “Can I treat you as the representative of the immortal administrators? Let's discuss the rules of the game.”

【Of course. But who gets to propose the rules? If you do, it doesn't seem very fair to us.】

Xu Fang said to Number 1, “Can you design a relatively fair game?”

Number 1 answered, 【One side proposes “relatively fair rules” or “additional restrictions,” and the other side decides whether to accept them. The sides take turns for seven rounds. Similar conditions can't be proposed more than once, and each person gets two chances to refuse. The game will ultimately consist of the conditions both sides accept. Once game rules have been proposed and accepted by both sides, the two sides may only add restrictions from then on.】

“No problem.”

Number 3 said, 【I'll go first! This game bans chance-based outcomes. You can't play games like “rolling dice” or “flipping a coin,” where victory is decided by luck.】

“If chance can't decide the winner, then how do we handle probabilistic factors? What if the world suddenly ends halfway through the game?”

【Only the relationship between probability and victory is restricted. Other probabilistic factors aren't taken into consideration.】

Number 3 wanted to seal off every possibility of Xu Fang winning through luck.

“Fine, I accept. Here's one restriction: my memories must remain intact throughout the game. You can't affect my body or memories in any way, and you can't physiologically or psychologically influence or suggest anything to me. Likewise, you can't alter your own memories, and your rankings can't be changed.”

Number 3 said, 【Agreed. Here's my game rule: a one-kilometer race, governed entirely by the rules of the human World Athletics Championships. Both sides must use human forms and can't use any abilities.】

Xu Fang frowned. “You want me to run a one-kilometer race against you while you're in human form?”

【You can only maintain a human form. After all, your energy-body form would threaten the immortal world.】

Xu Fang looked at Number 1. “Hey, hey, is this fair?”

Number 1 answered, 【Number 3's rule is relatively fair. It will also use a human form and won't use any abilities.】

Human form… Who knew whether Number 3 would turn into Bolt or Blake?

Should he add a restriction? For example, make Number 3 use the same body as Xu Fang? Even that wouldn't guarantee absolute fairness. Number 3 could use all sorts of methods to get its body into peak condition, while Xu Fang had no such techniques.

“I reject that proposal.”

Number 3 shrugged. 【Whatever. You just wasted one of your chances to refuse.】

Xu Fang knew that Number 3 would continue proposing rules that seemed reasonable, so he had to act first.

He had to avoid “chance,” and also steer clear of sports, physical activity, and other rules unfavorable to him. So…

“We'll play a ‘genie game.’ First, you designate a ‘question with an answer.’ Then I'll ask questions, and you must immediately answer truthfully with ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ One question and one answer count as a round. If I guess the ‘answer’ within one hundred rounds, I win. Otherwise, I lose.”

Faced with Xu Fang's proposed rules, Number 3 didn't draw a conclusion right away. It discussed them with the other immortals for a moment before saying, 【Agreed. But I have a “restriction.” One hundred rounds is completely unreasonable. Since you have twelve Authors, you may ask at most twelve questions, and the time limit is ten minutes. If your question doesn't meet the requirements, we'll refuse to answer. After ten minutes or twelve questions, the game ends automatically, and you'll have to state the “answer”… How about it?】

One hundred questions had been slashed down to twelve, with a ten-minute time limit added on top.

“Explain what you mean by ‘doesn't meet the requirements,’” Xu Fang asked cautiously.

【It's simple. Your questions must be yes-or-no questions, and their logic must be sound. You can't ask things like, “Is your next sentence going to be xxx?” or “Can the omnipotent God create a rock so heavy that He can't lift it?” Those are paradoxical questions. If you ask something like that, we'll refuse to answer.】

“Fine, I agree. It's my turn to add a restriction. I require you to designate the ‘question with an answer’ right now.”

【Refused.】 Number 3 looked at Xu Fang mockingly. 【We'll save our question for the end. Don't even think about having Number 1 give you outside assistance now. Since that's the case, I want to add a restriction too: the only participant on the Authors' side is you, Xu Fang. The other Authors and the immortals are forbidden from providing you with any assistance. Heh, that's not too unreasonable, right? You can refuse if you want.】

“Agreed,” Xu Fang said. “Add this restriction: if the ‘answer’ I find differs from the actual answer, you must prove that my answer is wrong. If you can't prove it, then even if my answer differs, it will still count as correct.”

【Worried that there might be more than one answer? You're overthinking it. The question I designate will have one and only one answer. Agreed. Add this restriction: none of the twelve questions you ask may involve the “contents of the contract.” Otherwise, we'll refuse to answer.】

“It can't involve the ‘contents of the contract’? What if I can't find the answer without involving them?”

【I guarantee that the question and answer have nothing to do with the contents of the contract.】

“I refuse. Your weakness might be related to the contents of the contract.”

【How foolish. You've used up your last chance to refuse.】

“Add this restriction: if you lose, you can't go back on your word, and you can't use any means to renege.”

Number 3 answered without hesitation, 【I refuse.】

Xu Fang raised his head in astonishment and stared at Number 3 in disbelief.

“Why?”

【Hahaha, you've proposed a condition that's actually useful. Although your chances of winning are slim, I'll still keep a way to renege. As for how I'll renege, I won't tell you.】

“Number 1, do you have any way to see the future or return to the past?” Xu Fang asked Number 1, who stood beside him.

Number 1 didn't respond.

It was an incredibly demoralizing piece of news. What kind of mood was anyone supposed to face their opponent in, knowing that the other side could shamelessly break its word whenever it wanted?

【Xu Fang, you originally had a chance to return to reality, but you chose not to cherish it. Add a restriction: the Immortality Administrators may answer Xu Fang’s questions according to their own moods and are not required to answer truthfully.】

【Rejected. This condition is unfair.】No. 1 said.

As if he had expected No. 1 to say that, No. 3 said: 【Don’t interrupt me yet. I haven’t finished. Twelve immortals, Nos. 2 through 13, are participating in this little game. Nos. 2 and 12 are special: one can only tell the truth, while the other can only lie. So as long as Xu Fang finds the right immortal, he can’t he get the right answer? For the sake of making the game more interesting, we’ll conceal our identities. Xu Fang can identify us by asking questions.】

No. 1 nodded, accepting No. 3’s explanation.

“Do Nos. 2 through 13 know the same things?” Xu Fang asked No. 1.

【There are some differences.】No. 1 paused, then added: 【Anything I know, No. 2 will know as well.】

Xu Fang gritted his teeth and shouted, “Add a restriction: before answering a question, an immortal must truthfully confirm whether they know the answer, then answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ If they don’t know, they must truthfully confirm that the other immortals don’t know either before they can refuse to answer.”

【Your demand can be met. Add a restriction: Xu Fang may identify the immortals’ identities only by asking questions. Xu Fang is forbidden from using any other method to identify their identities. Violating this rule will result in an immediate loss.】

It was Xu Fang’s turn. This was his last chance to propose a restriction.

“Add a restriction: the question you designate must be related to the Eternal Life Church.”

【The discussion between both sides is over. As the judge of this game, I’ll reiterate the specific rules.】No. 1 said.

【Game participants: Xu Fang and Immortality Administrators Nos. 2 through 13.

Rules: The Immortality Administrators will designate one “question with an answer.” Xu Fang must find the “answer.” Xu Fang may ask the Immortality Administrators twelve questions. Finding the “answer” counts as Xu Fang’s victory, and the immortals must honor the bet by sending Zhang Empty, Owen, and Yoriko back to the real world. Failing to find the answer counts as Xu Fang’s defeat. Xu Fang must honor the bet by relinquishing control over No. 1 and allowing the immortals to deal with him as they please.

Restrictions:

One: Xu Fang’s questions must be yes-or-no questions and must be logically sound, without paradoxes. Otherwise, the immortals may refuse to answer. The immortals may answer only “yes” or “no” and nothing else.

Two: No. 2 must answer questions truthfully, while No. 12 must answer them falsely. The other immortals may answer according to their own moods. The immortals must respond within five seconds. The immortals may disguise and conceal their identities, and Xu Fang may identify them only by asking questions.

Three: Before answering a question, an immortal must truthfully confirm whether they know the answer, then answer “yes” or “no.” If they don’t know, they must truthfully confirm that the other immortals don’t know either before they can refuse to answer.

Four: Neither side may modify or induce changes in their own or the other side’s body or memories. The integrity of both sides’ memories must be preserved. The immortals may not change their assigned numbers.

Five: If more than ten minutes pass or twelve questions are asked, the game will end by force, and Xu Fang will be required to state the “answer.”

Six: If the “answer” Xu Fang gives does not match the immortals’ “answer,” they must prove that Xu Fang’s answer is wrong. If they cannot prove it, Xu Fang’s “answer” will still be considered correct.

Seven: The only participant from the authors’ side is Xu Fang. All other authors and the immortals are forbidden from providing any assistance.

Both sides must abide by the game rules and the restrictions above. Violating them will result in an immediate loss.】

【Does either side have any objections?】

“No.”

【Begin.】

A red curtain separated Xu Fang from the immortals.

The immortals glanced at one another, then, in perfect unison, transformed into… the appearances of the twelve authors.

During the first few seconds after the game began, No. 3 waited in silence.

Nothing unusual happened.

So the outcome of this game had already been decided.

No. 3 had made up his mind before the wager: no matter what happened, he would keep Xu Fang in the immortal world. If he lost the game, he would immediately activate the time weapon and return to the moment before the game began.

And now, nothing had happened. That meant the immortals would win this game in the not-too-distant future.

“No. 3, state the ‘question with an answer,’” Xu Fang said from behind the curtain.

【Xu Fang, since you always insist that the Eternal Life Church has a weakness, why not think about what the “true weakness of the Eternal Life Church” is?】

“I know.”