Absolute Choice

However, unlike what Shi Xiaobai imagined, the silver-haired girl only asked a question that bordered on a greeting before putting her writing board away. She squinted her eyes as she beamed at him.

Shi Xiaobai was slightly surprised and felt slightly warm in the heart.

Although he was not very familiar with her considering how he had only met her once, they never had the feeling of being unacquainted since the moment they met. They had a feeling that they could be friends upon meeting each other.

From the looks of it, that feeling wasn’t wrong.

Shi Xiaobai finally turned his head towards Sunless.

She was the only person who had not asked a question, but Shi Xiaobai knew that she would not ask, nor would it be possible for her to ask.

“Your sword.”

Sunless obviously did not ask. Instead, she handed over Holy Radiance that she had been carrying closely by her side to Shi Xiaobai. Back at the fifth level, she had suffered internal injuries because of Sen Senyuan’s sneak attack. Shi Xiaobai had handed Holy Radiance that came equipped with healing properties to her. He had selflessly lent her his sword.

Therefore, from the beginning, even if the azure companion sword Sunless had cracked, she would not tolerate letting Holy Radiance suffer even a scratch.

At this moment, Sunless finally managed to return the precious holy sword.

However, this act of returning the sword was actually not simple. It implied that she absolutely believed that the Shi Xiaobai in front of her was the real Shi Xiaobai.

Shi Xiaobai felt a little touched as he stretched out his hand to receive Holy Radiance. That familiar feeling of light warmed his cold palm.

The holy sword emitted a clear sword hum as well, as though it was the joyful yelp of having returned to its master.

Shi Xiaobai converted Holy Radiance into light and stored it in his right hand. Next he looked at Sunless and asked softly, “How long have you been waiting here?”

Sunless shook her head. “A short while.”

Shi Xiaobai naturally would not believe that it was really a short while. He apologized, “This King thought you would be in Transcendence, so he went there first.”

Sunless blinked her eyes and lowered her head slightly, saying, “I thought you will kill the Infernal King.”

They both thought in the shoes of the other.

Shi Xiaobai gave a helpless laugh, “But you and This King would never imagine that This King actually was the Infernal King!”

The lengthy conversation finally came back to the main point, as though it had experienced an unnecessary bedding of foundations.

But it was in fact not unnecessary.

Liu Yu eagerly said, “Benefactor Shi Xiaobai, don’t keep us guessing any further. This Penniless Priest believes you are the real Shi Xiaobai. Isn’t that enough? Quickly explain why you would suddenly claim to be the Infernal King? Was it done to fool the Infernal Queen and send her away?”

Everyone cast their gazes on Shi Xiaobai. They were also filled with questions on this matter. Since Shi Xiaobai was the real Shi Xiaobai, why would he suddenly claim to be the Infernal King?

Was it as Liu Yu guessed that he was only doing this to send the Infernal Queen away, so he came up with the idea to lie?

Shi Xiaobai shook his head and said, “Of course it’s not to send the Infernal Queen away, but that This King realized the truth. Sorry everyone, This King is really the Infernal King of the Infernal domain!”

Liu Yu frowned and said, “This explanation doesn’t make sense. You are clearly a trial-taker that exists for real, and the Infernal King is a fictional figure created by the assessment program. How can you be the Infernal King?”

“No, it can be explained, and in fact, it’s very simple.”

Shi Xiaobai calmly said, “In fact, This King initially had his doubts. In the beginning, This King thought that the Infernal Queen was mistaken because of This King’s aura or some other factor, but the Infernal Queen was able to pinpoint certain characteristics of This King’s body. Furthermore, she knows of This King’s name to the point of even saying words of ‘clothes sewn personally’. If This King continues probing, she definitely would be able to recite the dimensions of This King’s clothes and shoes. This proves a very important point. The Infernal Queen is rather familiar with This King!”

Everyone listened quietly as they pricked their ears up. At this moment, Shi Xiaobai was like a detective explaining the case, and he was resolving what seemed like an unresolvable mystery step by step.

No one interrupted as Shi Xiaobai continued, “When This King realized that the Infernal Queen is truly familiar with This King, and that it wasn’t a coincidence, This King suddenly had a question. Why is the Infernal Queen so familiar with This King? Then, This King thought of the first answer. The Infernal Queen is created by the assessment program. Then, her memories, actions are naturally controlled by the assessment program! In fact, This King had previously been unconscious for a moment. This King’s clothes were changed by Ka…someone. The assessment program might have gotten unique information of This King’s body from that period of time, as well as the dimensions of This King’s clothes and shoes! As long as the assessment program passes this information to the Infernal Queen, it can then be explained how the Infernal Queen is so familiar with This King. Then, why would the assessment program pass This King’s information to the Infernal Queen, to the point of letting the Infernal Queen use this information to fool us, accusing This King as the Infernal King?”

The crowd who were listening with relish were momentarily puzzled when Shi Xiaobai asked. They instinctively asked, “Why?

Shi Xiaobai nodded in satisfaction. He asked the question, not because he wished that they could immediately think of the reason, but did so as a form of explanation through a question and answer format.

“That’s because This King has been targeted by the assessment program!”

Shi Xiaobai said seriously, “This King has been targeted by the assessment program, and it is no joke, nor are they words of arrogance. Instead, it’s a guess, but it’s a guess that This King is even more certain of. But soon, This King thought of another simple question. Why would the assessment program use such a lowly technique to target This King? By letting the Infernal Queen make all of you think that This King is the Infernal King, wouldn’t this tactic appear a bit too sloppy?”

Everyone nodded their heads in a daze. They also felt that the assessment program could use much cleverer tactics to target Shi Xiaobai. By slandering Shi Xiaobai with such an identity appeared rather sloppy.

Then, why did the assessment program do it?

“Because, the assessment program did so not to slander This King, but because…This King’s identity in the seventh level has been set as the Infernal King!”

With this said, everyone snapped out of their daze. The doubts in their eyes seemed to be brushed aside as it became clear!

Such a simple and direct guess could explain everything!

“The seven of you have been transported into this world as Bravehearts. Then, This King naturally has an identity here in this world as well. And this identity clearly isn’t the eighth Braveheart. Why did This King not clear the level despite becoming the champion of the Braveheart Martial Arts Tournament? That’s because This King isn’t a Braveheart, so he did not have the qualification to even participate in it!”

Shi Xiaobai said with a deep voice, “Why does the Infernal Queen know so much about This King, to the point of having such deep feelings for This King? It’s because her memories were created and given to her by the assessment program. In her memories, This King is the Infernal King! And the Infernal King is This King’s identity in the world of this level! This King is really the Infernal King!”

The more complex a puzzle was, the simpler the answer usually was.

Since the assessment program could designate the trial-takers as Bravehearts, why couldn’t it designate Shi Xiaobai as the Infernal King? Although this was something that had never happened historically, Shi Xiaobai’s breaking of the sixth level’s rules by becoming the eighth person to reach the seventh level was already something that had never happened in the past!

To the assessment program, Shi Xiaobai was special. It was an existence that could ignore the rules!

Everyone was shocked beyond words. They never expected that the answer was so incredulous, but it was so reasonable. Even though it was just Shi Xiaobai’s guess, his guess was enough to explain everything. So this had to be the answer!

“What do you plan on doing?”

Liu Yu said with a deep voice, “If the assessment program is really targeting you, and designates your identity as the Infernal King, it must have other tricks up its sleeves. It would not do this for nothing. What do you plan on doing next?”

When Shi Xiaobai heard this, his eyes turned bright as he grinned. He said in a high-spirited manner without thinking, “This King is the Infernal King, which means that the entire Infernal domain is This King’s! To target This King, there has to be a price to be paid!”

Having become the Infernal King without any good reason, any other person would be trembling in panic.

However, Shi Xiaobai was not alarmed. Instead, he was overjoyed. By becoming the king of the Infernal domain, it was equivalent to owning the entire Infernal domain!

Shi Xiaobai only had one thought regarding the treasures in the Infernal domain—take them all, snatch them all, eat them all!

Regardless of the tricks the assessment program had prepared for him, he would strike first and eat first as a form of politeness!

However, there was a hidden concern in Shi Xiaobai’s bright eyes.

There was actually a very important basis for judging that he was the Infernal King.

However, he did not tell anyone else because this basis came from the Absolute Choice that he had to keep secret.

Complete the King’s Mandate.

Don’t forget that the Infernal King is also a King!

…