I'm not just human!

Could it be that those guests who boarded the ship and were unable to escape and thus disappeared completely were because they couldn't solve the math problem posed by these college student-looking entities?

Xia Fa turned to look at the blackboard, feeling a sense of absurdity mixed with despair.

Because, with just one glance, he understood that he wouldn't...

"I don't know how! I only went to elementary school, I can't even understand these symbols and numbers. Why are you torturing me? Kill me or do whatever you want—"

Bang!!!!!

Another desperate wail and the sound of bodies exploding came from behind the steel wall on the other side.

Xia Fa felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed that yet another pirate had died from an explosion because he couldn't solve this math problem.

Having no other choice, he had to bite the bullet and walk to the blackboard, then casually took a piece of chalk from the chalk box on the table.

He looked at the blackboard, at the math problem.

【已知1+1=2，那么，1+2=？】

Xia Fa only glanced at the math problem and knew it must be an extremely difficult problem.

The reason is simple: in his previous life, he at least had a bachelor's degree and had studied advanced mathematics such as calculus and linear algebra.

However, faced with this difficult problem, they couldn't understand it at all.

"How should we solve this..."

Chapter 187 Xia Fa, whose IQ was lowered, still managed to solve the problem!

"This question..."

Xia Fa frowned and pondered, finding the situation increasingly complicated, his brain almost working to its limit.

Logically speaking, he should be able to understand the secret texts and combinations of texts that are far more difficult than mathematics, having become an extraordinary being, and even signed two overlord-level secret contracts. This kind of math problem should be so easy for him to solve.

But the problem just won't be solved.

“已知1+1=2，那么1+2到底该等于多少？”

"1+2..."

"1+2..."

Xia Fa pondered deeply, even picking up chalk and starting to do calculations on the blackboard.

The group of beings resembling college students didn't stop him; they simply watched his tall figure with anticipation, as if waiting for him to actually solve the mathematical problem.

“1+2……可以拆解为1+1+1，已知1+1=2，那1+1+1该等于……”

When Xia Fa got to this point in the calculation, he suddenly realized that he was stuck and could not make any further progress.

Without a single spark of inspiration or a single idea, he felt as if he had returned to the time when he was taking the exam on topological functions of circular surfaces in college.

"Guest, hurry up! If you haven't finished by the time we return, we'll get scolded by the professor, and you'll have to compensate us!"

One of the university students' voices suddenly rang out, this time carrying a hint of threat.

It feels like a food critic shoving a menu in someone's face, or a storyteller counting down the days.

Xia Fa shuddered suddenly, not from fright, but from a sudden flash of inspiration in his mind.

He seized that glimmer of inspiration and began writing on the blackboard.

“已知1+1=2，那么2=1+1也成立，那1+2就可以等同于2+1，这么一来，1+2当然就该等于……”

Xia Fa's eyes lit up as he wrote down that sacred number on the blackboard, the number that could save his life.

【3】

The moment the number was written down, Xia Fa clearly heard the sound of a chair being overturned and footsteps behind him. It seemed that the figures that looked like college students excitedly stood up and ran towards the blackboard.

At the same time, he felt a jolt, and a sense of dazedness washed over him.

It was like a consciousness that had been shrouded in dark clouds suddenly regaining its clarity.

"What... was I just struggling with?"

Xia Fa looked at the math problem on the blackboard and found it unbelievable.

1+1=2，那1+2当然就该等于3啊！

Why did I struggle with this for so long? Why did I even feel like I was stuck?

Just now, I almost thought this was the most difficult problem in the world, so difficult that it was impossible to solve.

Xia Fa suddenly realized something. It seemed that from the moment he saw the math problem on the blackboard being written, his brain had been enveloped in a daze, and his IQ had been reduced by a hundred, or even a thousand or ten thousand times.

After all, how much does 1+2 equal? ​​That's a question that even elementary school students can answer. If your IQ hadn't been reduced a thousand or ten thousand times, how could you not be able to do it?

Xia Fa couldn't help but glance at the steel ship's cabin and the group of college students who were excitedly gathered in front of the blackboard, and a chill ran down his spine.

These entities, and this place... are just too bizarre, eerily unsettling.

This was the first time he had ever heard of an entity that could lower a person's IQ.

The key issue is that they lowered the IQ of an average person and then made them do math problems...

That's so bad...

Xia Fa stood still, waiting quietly, while listening intently to any sounds that might come from the cabins above, below, left, and right.

Sure enough, not long after, he faintly heard the wails of a collapsing pirate.

"I don't know how! What is 2 + 3? What is it exactly? I can't do this problem, I really can't, it's too hard!"

This time, however, there was no sound of the pirate's body exploding.

But Xia Fa also guessed that once the tourist ship from which there was no escape returned, everyone who couldn't solve these ridiculously simple math problems would face the moment of complete disappearance.

"Didn't these entities just say that they would agree to any request I made as long as I could solve this problem?"

Xia Fa suddenly remembered this and fell into deep thought.

He certainly couldn't actually ask these entities to do anything for him, or give him anything in return.

After all, these entities were truly bizarre, both in their unique way of appearing in groups and in the terrifying rule of drastically lowering people's IQ before forcing them to do math problems.

Therefore, the only thing he could ask for was for these entities to let him leave.

At this moment, the group of people who looked like college students became quite excited and started discussing intensely around the blackboard.

"It seems that's actually the answer!"

"That's right, 1+2 should equal 3. I just checked it, and I guarantee it with my GPA being the highest in the entire grade!"

“现在想起来，如果倒推的话，好像1+2就是等于3哎，因为3不就等于2+1吗？2+1倒过来不就是1+2了？”

"Holy crap! It really seems so! This guest is a genius!"

"A genius? He's definitely a future Fields Medal winner! A true mathematician!"

"Sir, would you be interested in studying at our university? With your talent, professors would definitely write you letters of recommendation, and might even take you on as their assistant!"

After confirming that the answer was correct, many of the figures, who looked like college students, turned around and surrounded Xia Fa, their faces filled with excitement and admiration.

Xia Fa even wondered if they too had been affected by this aura that lowered their IQ.

In this situation, Xia Fa could only smile modestly and say:

"That's nothing. I was just lucky to be able to solve a world-class mathematical problem like 1+2. Maybe I'm just a little bit smarter than average."

At this point, he changed the subject:

"By the way, do you still stand by what you just said?"

One of the college students, with short red hair, immediately asked curiously:

"What?"

Another college student, dressed in sportswear, pondered:

"Hmm... it seems to mean that once this guest can solve this math problem for us, we'll grant him any request?"

Upon hearing this, all the entities resembling college students seemed to remember.

"Yes, although I just said it casually, since the guest did it, we must keep our promise!"

"Sir, tell me, what do you want? As for money, the dozen or so of us have about a hundred gold pounds if we pool our money together. As for other things like pocket watches and canes, if you insist on having them, that's fine too."

"Guests, please don't be so polite with us. You have no idea how much you've helped us! We'll never be punished by the professor again!"

Looking at the sincere appearance of this group of college students, Xia Fa became even more surprised.

He even began to suspect that his lower IQ was not due to rules being "imposed" by these entities, but rather that their IQs were inherently low and "affected" him.

Seeing their sincerity, and their seemingly open and willing-to-do attitude, Xia Fa thought for a moment and tentatively said:

"Then... could you... um... send us all back?"

He had originally intended for these university student-like entities to release him, all the pirates who had boarded this inescapable tourist ship, as well as Prince Justinian and Avalon.

But considering that they seemed to genuinely believe they were a group of college students, Xia Fa changed his story.

"No problem, no problem, we'll definitely meet your request!"

One of the college students clearly had the demeanor of a student council president, and the group of college students seemed to subtly follow his lead. With a wave of his hand, the student council president readily agreed.

The other individuals who appeared to be college students naturally had no objections and all expressed their agreement.

"Is that all you ask for? You're too kind, sir, to not even ask for money."

"Then we'll take our guests home right away!"

"Remember to visit our university next time, dear guest! Our professor would love to meet you!"

The more normal these college student-looking entities acted, the more unsettling it became for Xia Fa, and his scalp began to tingle.

Especially considering the previous incidents where the bodies of those pirates mysteriously exploded.

In comparison, both the food critics and the storytellers seemed much more normal compared to these college students.

One of the figures, who looked like a college student, walked to the hatch of the steel ship, turned the handle, and opened the hatch.

The blinding sunlight streamed in, and Xia Fa suddenly felt as if he was about to regain his freedom.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a series of hatches opening and the shouts of many pirates crying with joy.