Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 13: Sleepwalking in Dreamland

1610: Seeds of Infection

For the next two months, the situation in the instance seemed to be balanced on a delicate strand of hair, teetering precariously. Everyone understood how fragile the current situation was; it wouldn't take much action, just a little doubt and suspicion, to push it rapidly into an irreversible state. Honestly, even Wu Yiliu was surprised that the situation didn't suddenly collapse, and that it had held up for over two months.

If it weren't for the seeds that were planted some time ago slowly sprouting, he might have thought that both sides would make it out unscathed.

During these two months, Wu Yiliu and Abby had constantly worn earplugs, avoiding looking at the television screen; they ate together, stayed in each other's line of sight, even putting their beds together at night, and took turns keeping watch. They used every method to prevent or detect if the players were whispering to them.

Living like this was incredibly taxing, but Abby didn't complain even once.

Perhaps she just lacked the opportunity to do so.

Since the players had all left the camping house—or at least, he believed they had, as he couldn't see them and was about 70-80% sure—the two hadn't spoken a word to each other. They both blocked their hearing for one reason, but also because they didn't dare risk their conversation being overheard by the players. For over two months, they communicated only by writing, stacking papers filled with writing in a corner.

The pile had grown thick, not just from necessary conversation but also because the three brainwashed subjects, including Cuining, were continually comparing and correcting their understanding.

They had no idea how much false information the players had implanted in them. But it was safe to assume that the content used by the four players during the brainwashing would have inconsistencies. Even if the content came from the same list, the timing and choice wouldn't necessarily be uniform.

Wu Yiliu couldn't rely solely on the players for reverse brainwashing; he hoped that by comparing notes, they could reverse brainwash themselves.

Indeed, this method seemed to work: they found several discrepancies in their understanding, such as Abby insisting that there was a picture of a harbor near the door, while Wu Yiliu saw a still life of fruit.

They didn't know the real answer, but at least they were aware of the discrepancy. The very doubt weakened the effect of brainwashing.

A reduced effect meant that the players would need more time to brainwash them again, and the longer the process, the more opportunities Wu Yiliu and Abby would have to stay alert. After all this time, Wu Yiliu was now quite confident that it would not be an easy task for the players to brainwash them again.

However, during the comparison of their perceptions, he and Abby had to be particularly careful with Cuining's testimony.

Cuining's broken limbs had long been healed, and every day she had a little time to wash, eat, walk around, and even breathe fresh air outside the door. She never complained about Wu Yiliu having broken her limbs or seemed to resent being confined for most of the day.

Her whole heart and mind were now focused on another goal.

"Take off your earplugs for a moment," she wrote on one occasion. "I want you to listen to whether there are any bird calls in the forest outside."

At the time, her transformation was not yet complete. Therefore, when she raised her head and handed over the paper, her smile suddenly pierced her right cheek – apart from this description, Wu Yiliu couldn't find a more suitable word – one side of her mouth, her skin twisted into a spike, suddenly stabbing upward into the air; her eye was pulled into a long black slit, and her nose was a twisted mound of flesh.