Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5678 - 4702: Desperate Escape (35)

"From the perspective of level design, these six people cannot unite." Loki stated, continuing to dry Thor's hair with his coat. "In all designs, whether it pertains to reasoning or escape rooms, the most crucial core concept is fairness."

"Though reasoning games might employ narrative tricks, they absolutely must refrain from lying about significant facts from a divine perspective; doing so constitutes unfair reasoning. It is also a hallmark of unfair reasoning to suddenly introduce characters and props without prior explanation, only for them to assume pivotal roles later on."

"The same principle applies to escape rooms. Level designers are permitted to use psychological and physical tactics quite maliciously to impede the escapees, yet they cannot engineer a scenario rendering survival impossible, nor can they devise puzzles that are entirely unsolvable. Furthermore, the intensity of the clues provided should correspond directly to the difficulty of the level."

"Consider the level we successfully navigated previously. With electrified cages and water, it was already sufficiently challenging, thus allowing passage by shaking merely three directions. Had they designed thirty directions, it would have inevitably led to certain death—that would be unfair."

"Similarly, given that solutions must be deduced within an extremely limited timeframe to avert drowning, the entire mechanism needs to be straightforward, devoid of distracting elements, with each step of reasoning progressively leading towards the correct answer. Otherwise, if they were to adorn walls and implement other contraptions to obstruct vision, deriving the correct solution during the rising water levels would become impossible, thereby constituting unfairness."

"The preceding levels functioned on a similar basis. For more demanding levels, a unique solution accompanied by clues is generally provided; conversely, simpler levels feature a correspondingly reduced number of clues. This embodies the principle of fairness in escape room design."

"Observe this current level," Batman's resonant voice cut through the air. "The hosts themselves, or the individuals they dispatch, are active participants in this process. They hold sway over the entire game's progression, manipulate the mechanisms situated above us, and possess the authority to dictate a significant portion of the game's outcome. If they were to unite, and no one made any subtle maneuvers, the situation would be exceedingly unfair."

"It's akin to football, wouldn't you say? If the players, the goalkeeper, and the referee all belonged to the opposing team?" Superman offered an analogy.

"If we draw a parallel, it’s as if they controlled the very turf, the ball itself, and the goalposts' frame. They determined the extent of the grass, the ball's weight, and the orientation of the goalposts. In such circumstances, the players would be incapable of playing the game."

Superman nodded, showing signs of comprehension mixed with lingering confusion. Batman found it necessary to provide another illustration. He directed his gaze upward towards the intricate mechanism and posed a hypothetical question: "Suppose they institute a rule at this moment: if we refuse to take our own lives, they will directly activate the mechanism above to unleash magma upon us—do we possess any recourse against this?"

Superman instinctively shook his head: "Committing suicide results in one death; if magma is unleashed, two lives are lost. In that event, we would be left with no alternative."

"Precisely. Even if the rules are embellished with more elaborate formulations, creating a competition based on a food chain or asserting dominance, the fundamental nature of the situation remains unchanged. They are leveraging the game to compel us into internal strife or self-destruction. They dictate the rules, control the apparatus, and determine the ultimate victor or vanquished. So, what exactly are we playing here?"

"Has this escalated from mere exploitation to outright persecution?" Anatoli inquired, his gaze fixed thoughtfully upon the mechanism overhead.

"What distinction exists between the two?" Lucifer asked with evident curiosity. Previously, he had shown little interest in Anatoli's philosophical musings, but his omnipotence had rendered him detached from such concerns. Now, having been stripped of his superpowers and reduced to mortal status, even a liability in a fashion, he found himself increasingly drawn to these discussions. Circumstances dictated his perspective; when one is weak, a natural inclination towards theories advocating for the protection of the vulnerable emerges.

"I typically view exploitation as a manifestation of collective unconsciousness. It's a phenomenon that doesn't originate from the malevolence of a single entity but rather emerges from established class distinctions. This concept is relatively abstract. Until an ideal state is achieved, class divisions will persist. Consequently, it demands considerable strength to propel forward a continuous and comprehensive struggle, rather than merely deriving satisfaction from vanquishing one or two individuals."

"However, persecution operates differently. Persecution stems from the malice harbored by a select few individuals or a specific group. Their actions are not driven by a desire to extract surplus value, but rather by an uninhibited release of the inherent malevolence within human instinct, venting their negative emotions upon others. This constitutes the fundamental divergence from exploitation, beyond mere tangibility versus abstraction; it also concerns whether the dynamic is perpetually top-down."

"I'm afraid I don't grasp that." Lucifer admitted. "Especially that last point. What precisely do you mean by 'top-down'?"

"From a class standpoint, exploitation is invariably one-way, always from the upper class down to the lower. There’s no possibility of it occurring in reverse. However, persecution is a different matter. A group from a lower class can indeed persecute an individual from an upper class. It can even manifest on an individual basis."

"The crucial reason for highlighting this distinction is that people tend to romanticize persecution originating from the lower class against the upper class, labeling it as resistance or revolution. In truth, it often involves nothing more than individuals acting on personal desires as an outlet. Driving the upper class into opposition or even eliminating them can lead to catastrophic consequences."

"I still don’t quite grasp it. If the upper class perpetually exploits the lower class, why is it considered wrong to eliminate them?"

"Because our objective is to foster unity among the vast majority," Anatoli stated, meeting Lucifer’s gaze. "Consider the war in Hell as an illustration. If we had rigidly adhered to eliminating every single Demon, actively killing those we encountered and forcefully expelling any others, could a mere handful of us have generated such a significant upheaval?"

Lucifer visibly recoiled. The extensive process of purging Hell had, in actuality, been thrust upon him. At that juncture, Hell was engulfed in flames, with virtually every inhabitants rising in revolt—against the Demon King, against Satan, and even against Heaven and God themselves. Had the situation not escalated to such an unmanageable scale, he would not have resorted to such extreme measures. There's a stark contrast between leisurely roaming the World and being compelled into it due to a fiery catastrophe at home.

"Humans possess the capacity for transformation," Anatoli continued. "If our purpose is liberation and transformation, this principle should extend to all individuals, not just a specific segment of society. While the upper class may oppress the lower class, it doesn't preclude the existence of a class above them exerting pressure, nor does it mean upper classes don’t engage in mutual oppression. Everyone in this world endures various forms of oppression and exploitation, extending even to those at the very apex. Does the Emperor in a despotic feudal system not require transformation? Hasty execution offers no genuine benefit. Without comprehending this fundamental point, the success of any revolution is highly improbable."

"You sound a bit melancholy yet again," Lucifer observed.

"Indeed. Because I believe the seeds of the Soviet Union’s eventual dissolution might have been sown through the execution of the Tsar’s family. Such an act, imbued with the nature of persecution, represented their most profound misstep."

Anatoli swiftly regained his composure, drawing a deep breath before declaring, "Let us return our focus to the game. If the earlier stages could be characterized as acts of exploitation—such as conducting unauthorized human experiments or selectively culling individuals—it signified certain members of the upper echelon resorting to unethical tactics for personal gain. However, the current situation appears to lean more towards malicious persecution."

"It seems their sole aim is to derive amusement from our struggles through these levels," Lucifer mused, posing a question. "Isn’t that still an unscrupulous pursuit for their own gratification?"

"Undoubtedly. To jeopardize the lives and well-being of others for personal pleasure is, by its very definition, exploitation. But because it is steeped in immense malevolence, it transforms entirely into persecution."

"Was there no malice present previously?"

"Not precisely. However, the emergence of a new group of living beings now emphatically demonstrates the depth of their malice." After a brief pause, Anatoli elaborated, "Originally, our adversaries were the system’s mechanisms. All the living entities within these levels were merely victims. But now, a different contingent of living beings has surfaced. They are participants in the game, yet not as exploited victims; instead, they are the architects of the rules, the manipulators behind the mechanisms, and even performers showcasing their distinct personalities and character."

"Is that truly so detrimental?" Lucifer clearly hadn’t fully grasped the implications.

"Intentional exhibition towards those being persecuted invariably carries significant malice—why else do you imagine I took a feather from you back then?"

Lucifer was momentarily rendered speechless. Suddenly, adopting a new perspective, he began to understand the reason behind Anatoli’s intense reaction. He now found the individuals orchestrating events from above utterly intolerable as well.

They were here, striving to conquer these treacherous levels, enduring experiences like near-drowning or having their wings impaled, while those beings sat watching, adorned with animalistic masks, projecting an air of theatrical mystery. Who wouldn’t harbor anger witnessing such a spectacle?

It bore resemblance to Anatoli’s own situation then—his nation had just collapsed, and he himself had recently perished, his heart consumed by rage and sorrow. It was then that Lucifer, bathed in Holy Light, appeared before him, wings unfurled. Anatoli’s act of merely plucking a feather was, in itself, a gesture of profound respect towards an Angel.

Lucifer approached, embracing Anatoli and enveloping him within his wings: "I wasn’t attempting to flaunt my power before you. I simply... I too lost control..."

"Yes, I came to understand that later. You were experiencing a sudden, overwhelming realization of your inability to escape a predetermined fate, grappling with anger and despair, while I, too, lost control due to my own past experiences. We each faced our own profound difficulties during that time."

Lucifer drew his wings tighter around himself.

"I refuse to believe they all share the same mindset," Charles asserted with conviction. "It's even plausible that the chamber wasn't their creation. They could merely be clients patronizing a different, larger corporation."

"That is a possibility," Erik conceded, his form resting against the compartment's wall. "Some major corporation engages in this business, and it so happens that certain affluent individuals possess this peculiar inclination. One party furnishes the capital, while the other supplies the workforce, leading to this arrangement."

"Do you truly believe a company would permit these wealthy patrons to gamble with their lives?"

"Absolutely not. Should any mishap occur, it would invite considerable trouble. Putting aside the matter of compensation, these individuals carry significant reputations. If the cause of death cannot be readily explained, who knows how many shareholders would demand answers. No company desires such a predicament."

"Yet, they are powerless to prevent it," Charles scoffed. "Human desires are akin to Pandora's Box; once unsealed, they can never be closed again. The curse deepens, and madness lurks ever closer. Mere killing is insufficient; thus, they resort to torture. Torture proves inadequate, and so they employ psychological torment. Even that fails to satiate them, compelling them to construct such chambers, observing individuals endure suffering and meet their demise through myriad methods. But what then?"

"They will not be content with mere distant observation. Their desire will be to partake directly, to validate their own supremacy, to demonstrate their mastery over all things. None can resist the allure of playing God—of assuming the role of an omnipotent deity, selecting humanity for salvation or an apocalyptic flood."