Chapter 124: You’re No Different

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: You’re No Different

This was illogical.

Given the cruel nature of this world, encouraging sacrifice and cooperation might be the rule on the surface, but the underlying logic should always be survival of the fittest.

’Choosing to end it now would most likely mean a normal clear, netting us only the basic rewards.’

’But choosing to resurrect a teammate... while risky, a trial this difficult must offer a reward far greater than just bringing back a teammate who has already proven to be a weak link, right?’

’Those three indentations... they don’t just require Sunflowers. They likely require a form of verification!’

’Verification that a team has undergone the complete cycle of sacrifice and salvation. Verification that they are a perfect team!’

’What would we get?’

’A higher Evaluation? A hidden reward?’

’Magnus Barrett himself is of negligible value. But the void left by his death—the opportunity to fill that void—that’s the real point!’

Risk and reward go hand in hand.

Going back for the Sunflower was undoubtedly a dance with death.

But if they succeeded...

A subtle change came over Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes. It was the calm, sharp glint of someone who had weighed the pros and cons and was now ignited by the prospect of a high return.

She looked up at the other three.

"If we end the instance now," Seraphina Sinclair began, "we’ll probably only get the basic supplies."

The moment she said this, Hannah Morgan’s expression changed. Realization dawned on her in an instant. Her pupils trembled, and her breathing quickened.

She didn’t speak, but her eyes instinctively darted toward Chloe Reed.

Milo Shaw frowned. "Isn’t that enough? It’s better than going back to get ourselves killed."

"Get ourselves killed?"

Hannah Morgan softly repeated those words. What she said next was utterly depraved. "We just need to go to the second trial to retrieve Magnus Barrett’s Sunflower. The only real danger along the way is the vines in the third trial, but they’re monsters too. If we could just sacrifice one person..."

Her words were like a stone tossed into stagnant water, causing the expressions on the other three to freeze.

Seraphina Sinclair hadn’t understood why Hannah was looking at Chloe Reed at first, but now she got it.

’She wants to give Chloe Reed a free trial of death!’

’I was still contemplating how to use the rune, and here she is, already moving on to making full use of people.’

’But for a plan like this, having your entire family cursed out would be getting off easy, wouldn’t it?’

Milo Shaw swallowed hard. "Hannah, you mean..."

"What I mean is," Hannah Morgan said, her gaze returning to the dark path they came from, "he can be resurrected anyway. Since we’re all here now, we can just leave one Sunflower behind, sacrifice someone in the third trial, and then easily retrieve Magnus Barrett’s Sunflower. That way, we all get bigger rewards. It just requires one person to make a small contribution."

The implication was painfully obvious. Milo Shaw also fell silent and looked over at Chloe Reed.

Chloe Reed took a step back under their combined gaze, his face a mask of terror and helplessness. His calves began to tremble.

He stumbled backward until his back hit the cold wall, leaving him with nowhere to run.

"No... No way! Why me? Hannah, Rex, Serafelle... can’t we just end it like this? Magnus... he died because of his own bad luck! Why do we have to resurrect him? Why do I have to be sacrificed for it?!"

His pleading eyes turned to Seraphina Sinclair, as if hoping this person, who had seemed so calm and rational, would speak up for him.

Hannah Morgan’s gaze was icy and unwavering. "Sacrificed? Chloe Reed, don’t forget, if it weren’t for us, even if you survived the second trial, you would have died in the third one for sure. We’re just asking you to make a temporary sacrifice. As soon as we get Magnus Barrett’s Sunflower, we can come right back and resurrect you."

She wasn’t finished. Her tone was forceful as she continued:

"It’s not like you’re the only one taking a risk. We’ll be facing danger on the way back, too! But this might be our only chance to get a bigger reward."

"Or would you rather everyone get the bare minimum, while you—someone who’s contributed almost nothing—coast along with a meager reward, only to die in the next instance because you didn’t get enough of a boost?"

"Think about it! Only by getting more rewards in this instance can we have a better chance of survival outside."

Her words were like knives, striking home not only in Chloe Reed’s heart but in Milo Shaw’s as well.

Any lingering hesitation Milo Shaw had was gradually replaced by the pressure to survive and his own greed upon hearing about the next instance and greater rewards. He silently took Hannah Morgan’s side, his gaze on Chloe Reed complex, but it was clear he wasn’t going to object.

All eyes fell on Seraphina Sinclair. She was the decision-maker, the one who could sway the situation.

In a situation like this, silence was tantamount to taking a side.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t want to take a side, nor did she want to sacrifice Chloe Reed.

In her view, Magnus Barrett deserved to die, but Chloe Reed was innocent. He had done nothing wrong, and he hadn’t contributed much either. Was it really necessary to force someone like that to die once?

A cruel anticipation hung in the air. Hannah Morgan and Milo Shaw were both waiting for her decision—a decision that would be enough to push Chloe Reed into the abyss.

But Seraphina Sinclair just shook her head gently, her voice clear and calm. "Not necessary."

Those two words made Hannah Morgan’s brow tighten instantly, while Chloe Reed looked like a drowning man who had just grabbed a piece of driftwood, a glimmer of hope erupting in his eyes.

"Serafelle Sinclair?" Hannah Morgan’s tone was laced with confusion and a hint of barely perceptible anxiety. "This is the plan with the least risk and the greatest reward! It’s not like we aren’t going to resurrect him! We just need to..."

’Easy for her to say.’

’It’s true the sacrificed survivor can be resurrected, but the choice is always made by the living.’

’Besides, this damn place is so unpredictable. Dying is always a risk!’

Seraphina Sinclair sighed internally. For once, she felt the urge to uphold justice.

"That’s right, it’s not like they won’t be resurrected," Seraphina Sinclair said, her gaze landing on Hannah Morgan with a smirk. "Since it’s so easy, surely you’d be willing to be the one sacrificed, right?"

Hannah Morgan was clearly taken aback. She had always thought that this Serafelle Sinclair was the same kind of person she was. ’Conscience? Morality? We’ve come to a place like this; is there any need to care about such things?’

Her reason for targeting Chloe Reed was simple: he was the weakest one here!

Only by targeting him could she gain consensus and ensure the plan went off without a hitch.

But reality had thrown a wrench in her plans. This Serafelle Sinclair, the one who had taken care of Magnus Barrett, actually possessed something like a conscience?

Whether she had a conscience or not wasn’t something Seraphina Sinclair gave much thought to. She had simply thought of another way to maximize her own benefits.

The most confused of all was Milo Shaw, the warm and generous but not-so-bright one.

And since the gloves were now off, he didn’t mince his words. "Why should it be Hannah? The weakest person here is Chloe Reed. Of course he should be the one to make the sacrifice!"

Seraphina Sinclair said coolly, "Because to me, there’s no difference between the three of you."