Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 573 - 571 Pigpen
"Anyway, first let's calm down and look for the time machine."
Li Ang nodded and returned to Room A. He glanced inside; there were no changes.
How great it would be if a monster popped up that I could burst open to drop all the keys to the rooms—saving me the trouble of searching for them one by one.
Li Ang muttered something he knew was impossible, sighed, and resignedly returned to the corridor. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
The stone walls next to Room A and Room F were exceptionally sturdy. He chiseled at them a few times with the Hex Screwdriver, but far from dislodging any brick fragments, he couldn't even scrape off the adhesive between the bricks.
Based on the number of steps I've taken along the walls and my trajectory, this corridor should be a concentric circle. Wall Alpha next to Room A, and Wall Beta next to Room F... there's about a ten-meter distance between them. It's unclear whether these two stone walls are connected or separate.
Li Ang muttered to himself as he arrived in front of Wall Beta by Room F and carefully examined the cylindrical recesses on it.
This shape means I need to insert an Energy Battery, or something else similar in form, right? But I already tried; the battery won't come off with brute force alone.
Li Ang pondered. Considering the number of puzzles in Room A, it's implausible that I'd be expected to open Room A and insert the battery into the wall within the first minute, all while under a severe debuff. This implies that as the mission progresses, another room might provide a new, removable Energy Battery. Or perhaps it will directly remove my debuff...
He scratched his head, lifted his chin, and shouted down the corridor, "Hello? Dungeon designer, are you there? How about we skip all these irrelevant steps and move to the final showdown phase? Huh? Do you dare to have a showdown with me? Let me show you what a true master of the game is!"
His provocative voice echoed down the corridor. After a long while, there was still no response.
Li Ang suspected parts of the dungeon might be equipped with tiny surveillance cameras or recording devices. To further probe (and also to vent his frustration), he muttered threats like, "I'll finish you within three days and scatter your ashes!" as he checked each door, one by one.
The keyhole on Room F was a different style from the one on Room A and the lock on his suit; it required a different key.
Room E had the inscription '2F2S21M2M3S13T2'. Below it was a six-digit lock requiring a combination formed from six of the twenty-four letters of this particular alphabet.
Li Ang tried "AAAAAA," "BBBBBB," "WINDOW," "BRONZE," "ENERGY," and other words in succession, but the door remained unchanged.
If 2F2S21M2M3S13T2 is ciphertext, then I'll need to find the corresponding cipher key.
He spread his hands, gave up decisively, and moved to the door of Room D.
The shrine platform in the middle of Room D was Baroque style, extravagantly flamboyant to an extreme, utterly clashing with the plain corridor.
To the right of the platform was a gold-inlaid cup. The left side was empty, save for a circular recess at its base.
Li Ang picked up the gold-inlaid cup and discovered a metal chain attached to its bottom, securing it to the platform.
They're not letting me take it, huh...
He estimated the cup's capacity with his hand; it was indeed about three liters.
The inscription on the platform requires four liters of some liquid, but this cup only holds three. The empty spot on the left must be for another cup I need to find. And I also need to find some liquid...
Li Ang looked down at his rubber suit, which had no zippers.
I don't feel the urge to urinate right now. Even if I did, a normal person's daily urine output is about 1,000 to 2,000 milliliters, not enough for four liters unless I supplemented it with blood. Considering my current weakened state, contributing two liters of my own blood is also impossible. I need to find another source.
Li Ang shook his head, left Room D, and proceeded to the door of Room C.
This door featured patterns of right angles and squares without bases. Some right angles had a black dot at their apex.
What is this, an abstract The Bible? Has the dungeon designer been hit with a profanity filter and can only communicate through emoji?
Li Ang squinted, observing closely for a moment. Then, suddenly remembering something, he pulled out the letter addressed to Morgan.
The letter was marred with water stains, smudges, and some small black dots from corrections and alterations. He had initially thought these marks were due to the writer's harsh environment, poor living conditions, and perhaps a shaky hand, causing them to leave traces on the letter.
The letter paper itself is lined. The writer added some vertical and diagonal lines within some English words, disguising them as penmanship errors. But they weren't mistakes; they were clues. If I pick out every letter that has these extra vertical or diagonal lines, it should be: ADGBEGCFIJMPKNQLORSTVUWXZY...
Li Ang looked up again at the door of Room C.
Next to the letters J, M, P, K, N, Q, L, O, R, W, X, Z, Y, there are tiny, hidden black dots. These correspond perfectly to the square and right-angle patterns with black dots on the door. This isn't abstract emoji; it's a Pigpen Cipher!
The so-called Pigpen Cipher is a simple substitution cipher based on grids, used to encipher twenty-four letters. The letters are divided as follows:
The letters ABCEDFGI are assigned to a primary 3x3 grid structure.
The letters JKLMNOPQR are assigned to a secondary 3x3 grid structure; symbols derived from this grid are distinguished by a black dot.
The letters STVU are assigned to a primary X-shaped grid structure.
The letters WXZY are assigned to a secondary X-shaped grid structure; symbols derived from this grid are also distinguished by a black dot.
To use it, one simply takes the shape of the grid segment that encloses the letter (for example, a right-angled segment from a 3x3 grid, or a V-shape from an X-grid), adding a dot if it's from a dotted group, to represent the original letter in the ciphertext.
